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Press Briefing, Dec. 13, 2006

Multi-National Force-Iraq

Wednesday, 13 December 2006
Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV
Spokesman, Multi-National Force - Iraq

SITUATIONAL UPDATE CONFERENCE WITH MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR STRATEGIC EFFECTS, MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ TOPIC: SECURITY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ LOCATION: THE COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, IRAQ TIME: 7:00 A.M. EST DATE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2006

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, let me start off by -- good afternoon. "As-salaam aleikum."

First of all, it's my pleasure to speak to you all today. I'd like to discuss the progress being made as we transition to Iraqi responsibility for their country's security. And I'd like to also talk about how the coalition force is supporting Iraqis as they move forward in their own future.

First, on behalf of everybody in the Multinational Force, I want to second what the prime minister said yesterday in his strong condemnation of the suicide bombing in Rusafa. The victims of this attack were average Iraqis simply looking for jobs, looking for ways to put food on their tables. Then, in a second, a murder ended their lives. 

Again, this monstrous act crystallizes what this conflict is about. Whereas the Iraqi people and the government of Iraq are trying to improve their lives by rebuilding this country after 35 years of dictatorship, these terrorists and murderers are trying to tear the country down around them to feed their destructive vision.

The coalition stands with Iraqis attempting to construct a secure, stable and self-governing Iraq. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of the Iraqis killed and wounded yesterday. The Multinational Force pledges to work with the government of Iraq as it seeks to find these murders and bring them to justice.

I've also spoken to many Iraqis over this past week, and it's clear that they have a better understanding of our mission, particularly after release of some of the recommendations that have been made to our president. If I could, let me just highlight a few.

First of all, let me say that we, as the Multinational Force, welcome this assessment of the coalition strategy and tactics for assisting the people of Iraq; that our methods are always under review and we are always seeking to perform our mission more effectively.

The findings of the Iraqi Study Group are just one set of recommendations for -- which our president will consider. We look forward to incorporating any ideas this study group has if they will help us achieve our goals.

Nothing in the Iraqi Study Group's report changes our commitment to helping the Iraqis achieve a unified, prosperous and democratic Iraq. We continue to be committed to helping Iraqis decide their own future. We all agree the best solution to Iraqi security is an Iraqi solution, and we will continue to make adjustments to our assistance, these based on the security conditions and the growing capabilities of the Iraqi security forces.

One such adjustment is the way we have strengthened how we train Iraqi forces. Iraqis need capable and honest security forces that are loyal to all of their people. They need forces that can run complex operations against terrorist and criminal elements, and the best way for Iraqi security forces to enhance these capabilities is through the mentorship and partnership of our coalition transition teams. Therefore, we are accelerating our use of military transition teams, police transition teams and border transition teams.

Last week, I detailed several Iraqi operations that demonstrate the ever increasing capability of the Iraqi forces. This past week saw more evidence of their progress.

On December 7th, Iraqi and coalition forces launched a major operation in southern Ghazalia. The Iraqi security forces led by companies from the 6th Iraqi Army Division successfully conducted raids and clearing operations to capture targeted anti-Iraqi forces to disrupt their insurgent activities. The Iraqi forces detained 10 suspected Iraqi anti-Iraqi force personnel, including five that they had on their specific target list. They also found and seized three weapon caches, which included small arms, mortar tubes, rockets, complex IEDs and IED-making material. In addition, two companies from two separate Iraqi army brigades, a company from the national police and the local police, also participated in this operation. This is significant because it demonstrates that Iraqi forces are making progress and working more together.

The increased presence and cooperation also led directly to the rescue of 23 kidnapping victims yesterday near Abu Ghraib, where they were being held by a kidnapping ring led by a Syrian national.

The progress of the Iraqi security forces is in part a testament to the hard work and dedication of the outgoing 5th Corps. Under the leadership of Lieutenant General Pete Chiarelli, 5th Corps has achieved a great deal of progress under difficult circumstances.

There are obviously significant challenges to still overcome, but we have great confidence that Lieutenant General Ray Odierno and the incoming III Corps will successfully oversee the expansion of Iraqi control of provincial and national security level operations, border security, improvement of the Iraqi police services and the defeat of al Qaeda in this year ahead.

Finally, everyone here has been following the Asian Games, especially the performance of the men's soccer team, and we want to congratulate them on their success to this point. And for sure, this Friday, we'll be rooting for them again as they take on the final matches here as they take on Qatar in the final part of the Asian Games.

They've had to overcome tremendous -- a great deal of adversity in their pursuit of excellence during this past year, and we look at them and salute them because they serve as a true inspiration to all of us to show exactly what can be done when people put their differences aside and work together for the unity towards one purpose, and this soccer team has clearly demonstrated that tenfold in their efforts.

And with that, I'll take whatever questions you all have today.

Yes, sir?

Q Paul Schemm, AFP. On TV today, the national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, described a plan outlined for President Bush when Maliki met with him, about U.S. forces pulling out of Baghdad, essentially leaving everything to the Iraqi security forces. And I understand, of course, we've been talking about security transitions.

Now, when I was first here -- when I first started coming here about a year ago, U.S. forces were already transitioning out of Baghdad. And then during that same period, we watched the complete disintegration of the security situation and U.S. forces transitioned back in, Together Forward and other things. And if anything, the results of Together Forward have shown that the Iraqi security forces have been unable to do their part. So I was wondering, what has now changed that we're talking once again about pulling U.S. forces out of Baghdad?

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, first of all, let me say that the intent has always been at some point in time to reduce the level of the forces here in the country, I mean across the whole country, even. I mean we have always said that as the Iraqi security forces become more capable and able to operate independently without the assistance and support of coalition forces, then in fact that will allow us to reposition, going to an overwatch, and eventually withdraw those forces. 

And so what the national security adviser, Dr. Rubaie, was talking about is a plan that they have come up with. Obviously, we all believe that to find solutions for the Iraqi problems is going to take Iraqi solutions. And so that's in fact what they've done, they've drawn up a plan. It's being discussed very closely with the commander here, General Casey, and with the ambassador, Al Khalilzad, as they engage with and discuss with the senior leadership of the government of Iraq about how they want to move forward. And I think we'll see over the next several months many aspects of what they want to do go on. 

I mean, I guess one of the greatest things about this is the challenge we have is they want to take greater control of their security. I mean, that's a great -- if that's a problem, that's a great problem to have on our hands is that they want to assume greater control and be more responsible for their overall security. And so our mission is to figure out how we can best help them achieve that as rapidly as we can. And so we're looking to figure out how can to accelerate moving along that so that they can assume that security sooner with their forces. 

Q But when I'm, you know, with U.S. forces out there talking to the people in, say, West Baghdad, that's a process they're very much opposed to. And if anything, they say they would like to see more U.S. soldiers on the streets of Baghdad rather than Iraqi national police, for instance.

GEN. CALDWELL: What's interesting is as we go through these different studies out there that are talking to Iraqi people and figuring out what they're thinking and feeling, the level of confidence in the Iraqi army has gone up progressively over the last six months, I mean not at a very steep -- but there's been a nice, steady increase in the overall feeling that Iraqis have as far as trusting and feeling that the Iraqi army can provide for their security. 

And so that's the purpose behind these transition teams, the Military Transition Teams. You know, what we have found is that these things work and you know, when something works, your first inclination is to say well, then I want more of those things, I want them faster, I want them bigger. And that's exactly how we're sort of proceeding along right now with the transition thought process. 

If you go out west and you go up north, you're going to find the division commanders in those two locations have both made the decision to take additional combat forces offline and add them to, and make them a part of enhancing the transition teams that already exist, and creating new and additional transition teams. And they're already doing that in those two locations. And the discussions that are ongoing here is how can we do that more in the Baghdad area with the security forces here. 

When we see something like what the 6th Iraqi army just did in Ghazalia, where they're able to take Iraqi army forces, national police, local police, bring them together, conduct a combined operation -- they had a lot of coalition Military Transition Teams and Police Transition Teams associated with it, but they conducted that operation themself, and they did it successfully. There's no question we were there providing assistance -- coaching, teaching, mentoring -- as they did, but they conducted that operation. And that's the key aspect of what we're trying to move for in the city. And perhaps we did not do that with as much due diligence and robustness last year as we are planning to do here in the future. So I think that's where you're going to see the most significant difference. 

And then the Iraqi security forces themselves are becoming much more proficient and capable now than they have been in the past. I mean, we really do see that. I mean, they're not yet at the level of independent operations, but they're clearly moving forward in their capabilities and their proficiency, and where the teams can really help is with the professionalism of those forces, and with the continuing leadership development of them. 

Yes, sir. 

Q Can you -- I'm sorry, Jim Maceda, NBC News. Can you frame for us, though, the concerns that the U.S. military and the Sunni population here have expressed about giving that kind of power, as expressed in the plan, that would hand over primary responsibility to a Shi'ite-led government/military in Baghdad, pulling back U.S. troops, as I understand it, to the suburbs? What are the concerns about doing that at this time? 

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, again, right now there has been no plan that has been officially approved -- 

Q The plan as --

GEN. CALDWELL: -- to start moving any significant forces, other than we're going to increase the amount of transition teams that are working with the Iraqi security forces. But obviously, you need time when you're getting ready to do something like that. We're going to continue to make sure that there's enough coalition force coverage in those units, down to the lowest level possible, that could help provide and give feedback to the Iraqi leadership as to how well those units are performing in terms of their professionalism, their unbiased approach towards the people, and all those other factors. 

I mean, that's another set of eyes that the Iraqi leadership can count on to ensure that their people -- that their security forces are performing in a non-sectarian manner out there on the street. So the coverage which has not been as low as that we envision it going now, if you go out west or up north, you'll see they've moved the level of the transition teams to a lower level, and those are the discussions that are going on right now as to what level we'll move those teams down to and how robust they'll be, but they'll be even more robust than they presently are today.

Q (Off mike) -- transition teams that monitor --

GEN. CALDWELL: Yes.

Q -- how sectarian or non-sectarian --

GEN. CALDWELL: Yeah, they'll be able to -- their real purpose is to provide leadership and coaching, teaching and mentoring, but they in fact will be able to observe -- we would just call it a professionalism to make sure they're not acting in a sectarian manner out there.

Q (Through interpreter.) (Name and affiliation inaudible.) President Talabani criticized the way the Iraqi army is trained under foreign officers and described this method as complete failure. How do you respond to this?

GEN. CALDWELL: I am aware of the report, and I did hear what the -- what your president said about the method by which these forces are being trained. I believe when you take the context of what President Talabani was saying he was voicing some tremendous reservations about this report that has been given to the president of the United States and expressing his reservations as to parts and pieces of that report.

This past week I had the opportunity to sit down with a large group of Iraqi press and talked to them, and one of the things I tried to reassure them is that this is just one of many inputs that the president of the United States is going to receive. It's only a recommendation. It's not a prescriptive tool that he has to use, and I think what we have seen so far, as President Bush has been very clear that he's going to take all this different information that's coming in to him, look at it all very carefully and then make his own personal assessment. The statement yesterday by Tony Snow that we're going to -- the president is going to delay any announcements about Iraq until the first of the year I think is reflective of the depth by which he plans to still look at all this information before making a decision.

So the good news is you have a system here that allows for a different political leadership to voice their opinions, their judgments, their ideas publicly, and that's exactly what President Talabani was doing. And so clearly, it's been heard by the leadership of our government. They understand how he feels, and it's something they'll also take, I'm sure, into consideration, too.

Yes, sir.

Q (Through interpreter.) President Bush yesterday conducted a video satellite with General Casey and a number of commanders. He discussed the military situation, the security situation in Iraq. Could you brief us on the results of this videoconference?

GEN. CALDWELL: The conferences that occur between the president of the United States and General Casey are something we don't share publicly. What I can tell you that the -- so I can't really give you the specifics of what was said there. But what I can tell you is it was part of the ongoing process that's currently occurring where the president is engaging directly with also his military commanders as he is making the assessment as to how he wants to decide the way forward here in Iraq from the U.S. perspective. And so that's part of that ongoing dialogue and exchange that's occurring.

I mean, if you look at the president of the United States' schedule this week, it's very Iraq-focused, from his trip to the Department of State on Monday, where they talked to everything from provincial reconstruction teams and other issues to Tuesday with video teleconferencing with leaders over here to today -- he's going to be in the Department of Defense, talking with leaders there. And then I know that, according to Tony Snow, that his intent is to engage even with the secretary of Defense-designee after he's brought in next Monday as he continues further making assessments of all this different input.

Q (Through interpreter.) Saudi Arabia informed Bush, according to American sources -- said that it will back the Arab Sunnis and finance them in case the American troops are withdrawn. Will this affect the presence of the American forces in Iraq?

GEN. CALDWELL: I don't think that came from the government of Saudi Arabia, that -- I think there was a person who -- the question was -- the statement that was made by somebody from the government of Saudi Arabia about backing the Sunnis and what -- how will that affect us. And what the government of Saudi Arabia said was that was not an official position of their government, and that the person who spoke spoke out of place and has since been removed from his position, even. So I think they were very concerned about what was said themselves.

But obviously, anything that our president decides as far as American policy goes, he's going to stay in close consultation with your prime minister on. I mean, that's one thing that we continue to see is that dialogue between the two of them.

And we also continue to see the dialogue between the prime minister and General Casey and the American ambassador here, Ambassador Khalilzad. And so that dialogue will continue, too. 

So it's just an ongoing dialogue. There's been just no decisions made on anything yet.

Yes, sir?

Q Hi, General. This is Borzou Daragahi from the Los Angeles Times. You said earlier that the MiTTs program was working, that the military transition team program was working and therefore to be expanded. You cited the increased operational capabilities of the Iraqi army. Is there any evidence or matrix -- matrixes that show that that increased operational capability is having any effect on the ground? Is there any evidence that the -- that, you know, maybe in terms of figures showing a decline in sectarian killings or other types of violence in are where the MiTTs program has been used extensively?

GEN. CALDWELL: What -- I guess the best measurement is asking the commanders on the ground how well they see that working when they have embedded -- when they have military transition teams working with their Iraqi counterparts. And if you were to go out west or up north, and you talk to General Mixon up north, or go out and ask General Zilmer out west, they will both tell you, from their commanders on the ground that are there, seeing it each and every day, that it greatly enhances the overall effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces. 

And so therefore they're the ones who are making at this point unilateral decisions -- I mean, obviously it's approved up the chain by Pete Chiarelli as their corps commander, but I mean -- but they're -- in consultation with him, we're making decisions to reduce the number of combat forces in order to increase the number of military transition teams, because they see the benefit from that, because it has in fact made the Iraqi security forces more capable, more competent. 

And it's been little things that they've seen. It's improved the levels that -- the amount of people that show up for work on a routine basis. It's cut down on some of the absentee -- their tentativeness in terms of paying attention to the basic things, such as routine things that we take almost for granted sometimes in a more professionalized force, such as the care of weapons, the care of your people and everything else -- it's helping on those things, too, because these are all very, very junior leaders. 

You know, we have done a tremendously great job, General Dempsey with MNSTC-I has, in terms of training and equipping the Iraqi security forces. And you know, we're right at the mark of having put almost now 325,000 Iraqis through that program.

But the challenge is, once you do that, you have to have continuing education, continuing mentorship, continuing development. We do it in our own Army.

Every three to four years in our own Army we pull leaders off line and send them to further development school. So we've done that -- I mean, I've done that my entire career. Well, the Iraqi army needs something equivalent. If you go back three years since we started trying to pull this army together, you've got leaders that need that kind of training. And the MiTT teams provide sort of on-the-job training out there where they continue to work improving the professionalism and leadership. And that's why that's so important to have more of them out there than we do today, because we're finding the benefit from that.

Q Can I do a follow-up?

GEN. CALDWELL: Sure.

Q I think there's no doubt that among the U.S. forces here there are just amazing professionals who are very capable of doing their jobs. And I think that it's obvious that many of the Iraqi forces are gaining from that experience of being with the U.S. forces and gaining an operational capacity and professionalism. But is there any evidence that that has led to improvements on the ground in terms of security?

GEN. CALDWELL: I know you're looking for the quantifiable data, and in many respects what we're taking is the commanders' reports on the ground. I mean, I'd have to go back and look -- I don't normally dive down that far into the tactical assessments down at the lowest level, but I do look at the quantitative overall level. And the best thing I can tell you is when you have commanders on the ground at the lowest level, company commanders, you know, young captains, young sergeants that are telling you that they see an improvement, that's probably one of the best measurements you can possibly use. 

We are constantly assessing ourselves when we go through our own routine training in our own Army, Marine Corps, whatever the force is in our military armed forces in the United States, we continually assess ourselves all the time. And that's what they're doing with the Iraqi security forces out there, they're making those assessments. And a lot of them are not really subjected to quantifiable data statistics, although you could probably try to establish some. Most of it's based on leadership assessments that they're seeing on the ground.

Q If I could just sort of follow up what he's saying there. GEN. CALDWELL: Yeah.

Q At least if you look at the case in Baghdad, you've just had several really spectacular attacks in the last few weeks, November 23rd, the Sadr City attack, then we had the laborers attack. We had another attack this morning out in -- two attacks out in New Baghdad. 

The sense that -- while I'm sure the Iraqi security forces are getting much better, the situation seems to be getting much worse on the ground. I mean, it seems like we have sort of opposite trend lines going here, just at first glance.

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, I think one of the things we've always said, that as the transition process starts -- and we said this a couple of weeks ago -- we do expect to see an overall increase in the levels of violence. As you do some sort of transition like that, when that period starts, there will be some. And I'll tell you, when you look at -- if you want to take Baghdad specifically, we are deeply concerned about what we are seeing here right now. There are unacceptable levels of violence that are occurring today in Baghdad, you're exactly right. I mean, there's clearly deliberate acts of criminal activity for those who have tried to push their agendas forward and can find no other way to do it than through murder, execution and assassinations. 

But you know, I guess the one thing that's always very, very reassuring -- it's very clear to us through a lot of these studies that's not the will of the Iraqi people and that the vast -- I mean, the overwhelming vast majority of the Iraqi people want to live in a safe and secure environment. And so yep, you're seeing some of that. We are seeing unacceptable levels of violence here in Baghdad, but we are working very diligently with the government to address that.

But ultimately to solve that problem, you know, the prime minister will tell you one of the things he's doing, he's starting his Iraqi security force initiative to increase the force by about 30,000; so that instead of 325,000, he's going to have about 355,000. And that training has begun to give him those additional forces he wants.

But ultimately -- the prime minister says it better than anybody else -- this is going to require a political solution. It's going to require political parties and political leaders coming together and reconciling their differences. You know, General Chiarelli, who was very eloquent yesterday in talking about the fact that our military will not lose a battle, they just won't, but we can't win the peace. I mean, we're just not going to be able to here. It's going to take the Iraqis finding a solution to the Iraqi problems. We can only help set the conditions.

And so until that political process gets more engaged and the political leadership and the political parties become more concerned about this than anybody else, we're not going to see the turn in the levels of violence. It absolutely requires that, and it's got to have that take place too.

Yes, ma'am.

Q Going back to my colleague Borzou's question on quantifiable data, if we can't have quantifiable data -- and you were saying rely on commanders' assessments on the ground -- Baqubah, for example, not too long ago Colonel Sutherland up there issued a rather rosey statement saying all the shops are open, it's a fully functioning city, there's no problem -- you know, there's obviously a security problem still but that every day life is continuing as usual -- fresh vegetables and everything else. And we kind of hung up with him, called the governor; (he) said it's disastrous, we're shut in our homes, you know, we're battling insurgents, we called the Sunnis, we're resigning because they still haven't gotten rid of that general who everyone knows, you know, is fielding death squads -- this is their words. And so we've got three different assessments of what's happening on the ground: one very rosey, one very sectarian, one saying, you know, we're all but shut-ins. How can you rely on, I guess, ground assessments when they differ so starkly in just one place, for example?

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, one of the challenges that clearly we find as we turn over more responsibility to the Iraqi forces, the level of fidelity that we used to have as to what's going on on the ground becomes less. We won't have as great a fidelity. We will have some still through our transition teams that are out there with the police and the military and out on the borders with the border elements, but we're just not going to have this great of fidelity.

Q (Off mike) --

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, that just means we're not in as many different places as we were before; where in fact we had a lot more people operating in one area, we'll have far less people. And so the information you have, the knowledge that you're able to share above is somewhat limited because you just don't have as much true visibility.

I will tell you that we get reports every single day of the week about something that happens. It'll even come through press reporting. They'll tell you something happened, we'll send forces out there to check on it, and in fact, there's nothing that occurred at all or the reports were grossly exaggerated in terms of what occurred once we get there on the ground. It's not to say that's every case, but there also is some misreporting.

I -- we have asked the brigade commander in fact this Friday if he would talk to the Pentagon press corps, just because of all these differing reports, and engage with the press. And he's going to do that this Friday and focus on Baqubah and talk about what's been going on up there and what's been happening.

So we understand there's been some tremendous different reporting going on. We ourselves more than anybody else, or just as much as the Iraqi government, wants to know truly what is ground truth. And so he is continuing to push to get as much fidelity as he can, and he's going to talk about that this Friday and lay -- sort out what's been going on. But I think what you're going to find is that it actually is not as gloom and doom as perhaps some of the officials up there have put it, and that in fact they may not have --

Q (Off mike) -- officials they're wrong and the --

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, no. I think what you've got -- the challenges that you have going up there is, you know, you had the Sunni population that didn't participate in the election, so they don't have representation in the government like they probably should had they gone ahead and participated in the elections that occurred a year ago. And so today now they don't have the voice in the leadership that's out there. And so you have a little bit of that challenge going on that occurs out in Baqubah. You do have a mixed population out there. It's not predominantly very heavy on one side or the other. It's very ethnically somewhat balanced, you know, give or take 10 percent each way, and you're going to get differing reports, I think, from each of their perspectives, and we're trying to take it more from a realistic perspective, not taking sides with anybody, but trying to get a real assessment on the ground.

But Colonel Sutherland is going to specifically address that this Friday when he talks to the press, just for that very reason, because we know it's an issue and people want to know.

Yes, sir.

Q (Through interpreter.) General Caldwell, what are the results of the siege laid by the American forces to the area of Suniyah? And what is the attitude of the multinational forces towards this issue?

GEN. CALDWELL: Up in Suniyah, the question was, what's going on up there, and is there a siege going on? Up in Suniyah, there is a military operation going on with Iraqi security forces, coalition forces and -- Iraqi and coalition forces operating together. They have in fact provided a cordon around the city there as they continue operations. They're ongoing as we speak. The people are able to come in and out of the city. They just have to go through checkpoints. Food supplies are still coming into the city. None of the essential services have been shut off. But there is a military operation that's currently ongoing at that location, and it does involve having established, very definitive entrance and exit points throughout -- around the city that precludes just anybody from coming or going into the city without being checked. But anybody's allowed to come and go; they just have to go through the checkpoints. But beyond that, those operations are still ongoing as we speak and will for the foreseeable future.

But it's a military operation that's ongoing due to the large volume of IEDs that were being found in that area and some very credible intelligence that has identified some very specific locations within the city that -- where operations are going to be conducted. And then I probably shouldn't talk much more about the operational aspects of that, other than that is an ongoing operation.

I think you'll see the government of Iraq is very interested in it, you'll see some senior leadership from the government of Iraq being perhaps even going there looking at things. I mean, everybody's very much aware of what's happening there, all the way to the highest levels of the government. 

Q Sir? 

GEN. CALDWELL: Yes, sir. 

Q (Through interpreter.) About security, the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police, there are some mixed security areas. Some politicians said that this will cause terrorism in these areas, this will encourage terrorism. My question: Can the American forces, in combination with the Interior and Defense Ministry, can't they coordinate with the Iraqi army and police to get rid of terrorism? 

GEN. CALDWELL: If I can just make sure I have your question correct. The question was within the Baghdad area, there are some areas where we have police and army operating together, and you're concerned about how well that coordination is going. Is that correct? 

Q (Through interpreter.) There are some areas in Baghdad -- in some areas where you have the Iraqi army, and next to it you find another Iraqi division. So if the Iraqi force or the police force don't care about that, this means that your training will go without benefit. So why don't you cooperate with the Ministry of Defense and Interior to train the Iraqi forces in distant checkpoints so they can get rid of the terrorist cells? 

GEN. CALDWELL: What I would tell you is that one of the things that is being discussed -- literally, it's an ongoing discussion right now -- is the command and control of all security forces in Baghdad, both coalition and Iraqi security forces, and when that transition will go from sort of a joint command and control, as it is now, to more of an Iraqi-led security command and control of all security forces, both Iraqi and coalition within the Baghdad area. 

One of the challenges of operating within the Baghdad area has been the fact that you do have Iraqi army forces, Iraqi national police forces, Iraqi local police forces, district police forces, and coalition forces, and they're all having to learn how to communicate, pass information, share intelligence, and it's something that they're getting better with all the time, but it's a continuing, ongoing training exercise for them to figure out how to communicate and pass that information. So you will find at times places where it does not work as well as it does in other areas. 

And they've looked at -- I know the Iraqi government has looked at this very closely. There's been a tremendous amount of discussion on it. And each time they find where there is a disconnect, they do in fact put mechanisms in place to affect that coordination. 

And so if there's particular areas that you're concerned about, I'll be glad to take that and go back that and pass that to my counterparts to have them look at. But the intent is everybody is able to communicate and crosstalk with each other. 

But it has been a real challenge. It is in our own Army. I mean, I can assure you we have our own challenges when we bring in different Army divisions and try operating around each other. And that's why you'll see within the Baghdad area we have one central commander that controls every bit of the coalition forces that operate there, just for very -- simplicity of command.

But I know that that's an ongoing discussion within the government of Iraq right now.

STAFF: Sir, we have time for two more questions.

Yes, sir. You want -- go ahead.

Q You -- Jim Maceda, NBC News. 

GEN. CALDWELL: Yes.

Q You mentioned the importance, the overriding importance, of a political solution. Prime Minister Maliki has called for -- as has the ISG report -- a move towards national reconciliation. He's called for a conference, I believe this weekend. What do you expect -- first of all, is it going to happen, as far as you know? Secondly, what do you expect to come from that conference? And how do you talk about reconciliation when a hundred-plus Iraqis are dying a day and there are the kinds of atrocities being committed that we seeing in the streets and the kind of carving up of neighborhoods that we're seeing in Baghdad as well?

GEN. CALDWELL: Well, first, we have every indication to believe still at this point that the conference will occur Saturday. There's nothing that has led us to believe that it will not. So we're very hopeful it will. And you know, as you well know, that's part of the prime minister's original 24 points, his national reconciliation dialogue plan that he put out in June, where you have those four major conferences. 

What's key is not the conference itself but, Jim, what will be the outcome of that conference, the follow-on actions that should occur. And this is the one between the political parties or the political leadership.

The prime minister has stated that the most important thing to solve this challenge that they have in Iraq and really particularly here for us and here in Baghdad is the political leadership, the political parties deciding that they're going put aside their differences and find a common ground that they can all move forward with in dialogue, in settling their differences. 

I know that the government has talked about different things. The situation is so complex that it's not like there's one group or another group that you can look to within the Baghdad area and say, "If I go talk to that group and that group, resolve their differences, then we can settle this thing here in Baghdad and reduce the level of violence." But it's a very complex situation with many competing groups, with a lot of criminal activity, with some insurgent activity. 

We do know that you've got those who are trying to find their way through power, both political and economic power, by using violent means, by murderers, by executions, by assassinations.

We also know that there in the insurgent element out there, predominantly AQI, that appears to be the ones who do these high -- sensational attacks on the Shi'a, to inflict a large amount of casualties, as they just did again yesterday. And then that creates that cycle which you start seeing, of the retribution that occurs between the two. 

So clearly, as the prime minister says, we're going to continue to go after the insurgents' activity in a very deliberate and concerted way, but we're also going to take and do a very deliberate, concerted activity against those who are involved in extrajudicial killings, too. And he's very supportive of that. With this past week, there were 22 operations conducted in and around the Baghdad area that resulted in about just over 80 suspected cell members either detained or killed in those operations specifically targeting sectarian violence. 

So -- and I think we'll only see an increase in those type of operations occurring, from a military perspective, trying to help the situation. 

But it's the political leadership that need to get together and decide can they in fact come to some reconciliation, put their differences aside; find -- if they can't come to some sort of cease- fire between all these warring factions, can they come to and begin to discuss the whole aspects associated with the reintegration of people back into their society; what level of amnesties do they want to look at for those who have been involved in this stuff if they reach that point where they're going to work that reintegration back into their society; what kind of training programs will they have to give these people the skills.

And then, like you heard General Chiarelli talk yesterday, it's going to take an economic piece to this, too. And there's a real concerted effort of economic programs ongoing in the seven focus areas where coalition and Iraqi security forces have been operating since this past summer. But it's going to have to have that same kind of application throughout Baghdad, which means that the government of Iraq has got to work through their processes, their systems, to figure out how to release the money, so that these programs that the Amanat and everybody else has put forth and want to start here within the city, which will not only produce better public services for the people, but also -- and produce jobs, can in fact happen.

And obviously the Department of Defense, as General Chiarelli talked about, is looking to see how we could help with that by bringing over, you know, senior personnel at the Department of Defense, with a lot of civilian business people, to start looking at those types of things within Baghdad, so we're figuring how we can help stimulate that too from our perspective. But the government has to figure out how to work that part. 

So it's a lot of competing things that are going to have to come together for this reconciliation to work. It's not just a matter of somebody saying we're going to reconcile tomorrow. They've got to get the economic piece going. They've got to stop the killings, the murders, the executions, the assassinations. And then they have to decide that they're going to put aside their differences and truly work towards a unified representative government there that looks out for everybody equally. Q Just to follow up, is there any sense that you're getting that the politicians have the will to do that now, as opposed to six months ago or a year ago?

GEN. CALDWELL: The thing that probably gives us, you know -- and I'd say the greatest hope is when I watch the legislative process. You know, when the Council of Representatives went into session in the month of June, they -- I think it was -- they passed one piece of legislation, and that was it, you know. And then if you go and look further, you know, as the months went on, and this young infant government learned how to work the procedures of being a government and pass legislation up here, how to introduce laws and do the first and second readings, and bring it forth for the final vote, they're developing the processes, and they're starting to tackle ones.

I mean, the Iraqi Higher Electorial Commission, the IHEC law, as they call it, I mean, literally they have been working them in that thing hard, and it's sitting there, ready now for a final vote. The next time they're able to get a quorum in the Council of Representatives, they're ready to bring it to a vote. 

I mean, that will be an incredibly positive step forward. It's one of the three most critical items we've talked about, you know, from our perspective as the U.S. looks at this, from, you know, de- Ba'athification being one, hydrocarbon law be another. But the IHEC law that will lead to provincial elections is another critical piece. And that's one of the -- probably the most critical ones that need to be dealt with. And they've managed to work through that process -- tremendous amounts of discussion, negotiation back and forth. There was resistance from one or two of the political parties for a long time, and they were able to hammer out those differences. 

So it does show the process starting to work, and that's where you get the hope that you see those type things occur and it didn't become a stalemate, they worked their way through that one. They worked their way through the investment law. They've still got to work the procedural aspects of it now that it's been passed, but they passed their investment law. So they are moving forward as a functioning government making things happen. 

I mean just this past week, if you go down to a courthouse -- you know, last week, walk into one of the courthouses here in Baghdad, and it was bristling with people, and there was all kinds of folks in there. And when you talk to the Iraqi judges and you ask them what their opinion is about how things are going, they say -- they'll tell you that the day people quit coming to the courthouse to resolve the differences, then we need to be worried. But for right now, they're still coming, they're still bringing their differences here, and they're still seeking a judicial review process that brings to resolution the differences that people have. And they're not doing it by force of arms, but by force of choice, the choice of looking for peace and stability in their country. 

And so that's where you continue to get the hope that the people -- the legislators, the judges, and even the prime minister continues to talk and demonstrate that he is very worried himself. I don't think he'd be in these dialogues with our president if he, himself, doesn't recognize that there are some significant challenges and that they've got to pull together if we're going to change the dynamics that we have today that are -- like I said, if you take Baghdad, it's unacceptable levels of violence here right now. We have got to bring it down.

Yes, sir? Q (Through interpreter.) There have been some news about Afghan fighters in Iraq. Is this true? 

And some families of the detainees held by the multinational forces, the families of the multinational force-held detainees, they complain of not having interviews with their relatives in the prisons. Can you provide an opportunity for the journalists to visit the detainees in the multinational force's prisons and detention facilities?

GEN. CALDWELL: I could go back and -- I'm not sure of the exact number offhand. I don't believe I have that with me. But I could tell you -- the question was are there any Afghan fighters here in the detention system within Iraq, foreign fighters. I don't have the complete list with me. If there are, it's a minimal number. But I'll go back and we'll get that for you, if there are any at all, and tell you. I would say that greatest number that we have in detention right now are out of Syria and Egypt. And, so -- but I'll be glad to find out if there are any from Afghanistan for you. 

And as far as the families being able to visit with those who are in detention, there is a system set up; that is possible. And if there's been challenges, if you could tell us who's had a challenge, we'll be glad to help facilitate working through that process. 

Where's Chris? All right, Chris.

If you wouldn't mind seeing Chris right afterwards, we'll take that on and make sure we introduce you to who you need to see so we can help you with that process. 

Q (Through interpreter.) A few days ago, the provincial council of Wasat suspended its cooperation with the Multinational Forces. What's the reaction of the Multinational Forces towards this procedure?

GEN. CALDWELL: I don't have all the details of what's gone on. I did hear that same statement, and obviously, this is a democratic society, and different provincial councils can make decisions to do the things they want to do. We, obviously, want to work very closely with the provincial councils out there wherever we're conducting security operations because it's for the good of the Iraqi people that we maintain a close dialogue and relationship.

But I'd have to get back to you to tell you where that is right now. But I think it's -- I think the positive aspect out of that -- I mean, not that I'm looking for a positive aspect -- but it's that people have the ability to express their views, and they can have differences and they can say that they don't approve of or they want to make a statement about something. So that's a positive aspect that they have the ability to do that thing.

I'll have to check to give you exactly where they are. (To staff) -- and Chris, if you could take that on, that's at Wassat province.

Okay. Thank you very much. 

END.