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PRESS CONFERENCE: Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, Dr. Tahseen Sheikhly, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Dorko, March 2, 2008

Multi-National Force-Iraq

Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, MNF-I, Dr. Tahseen Sheikhly, spokesman for Operation Fardh al-Qanoon, and Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Dorko, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, discuss ongoing projects in the Baghdad area.

Briefing Slides [PDF]

PRESS CONFERENCE:
Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, Director of Communications, Deputy Spokesman, Multi-National Force – Iraq
Dr. Tahseen Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for Operation Fardh al-Qanoon
Brigadier General Jeffrey Dorko is the Gulf Region Division Commander for the United States Army Corps of Engineers

DATE: March 2, 2008

TRANSCRIBED BY: SOS INTERNATIONAL LTD.

PARTICIPANTS:
RDML SMITH
DR. SHEIKHLY
BRIG GEN DORKO
REPORTERS:
BRAD BROOKS FROM THE AP
MAJDA MASSARI
REP1-7

*INT = INTERPRETER
*REP1= REPORTER 1

RDML SMITH: Good afternoon. As-Salāmu `Alaykum, I have just a few items to share with you today, and then I’ll turn over to my two colleagues who will discuss ongoing capital improvements in Baghdad and the positive impact they are having on restoring essential services to the city’s residents. First, on behalf of Multi-National Force – Iraq, I want to congratulate the Iraqi people, their government, and the Iraqi Security Force, for the successful completion of the observance of Arba’een.

For decades, devout Iraqis were prevented from fully commemorating the end of Ashura. And since the liberation of Iraq from the old regime, security concerns have often intruded on this religious event. But this year, we witnessed Iraqi soldiers and police taking charge of security and providing safety to the millions of Iraqi and foreign worshippers who were able to undertake peaceful visits to Karbala and Najaf. Security was an Iraq-led operation. While coalition forces coordinated closely with our Iraqi partners and remained ready to provide assistance as needed, it was an Iraqi force that protected the citizens from terrorists and extremists who tried to interfere with this year’s religious freedoms. Even with the tragic attack in Karbala on February 24th, all Iraqis can be proud of achieving the lowest levels of violence seen during Arba’een commemoration since 2004.

The Iraqi Security Force is still building its capacity and its capability. Serious challenges remain as it works to overcome sectarian differences and the logistical difficulties inherent in creating a new force. But the Government of Iraq and its security forces accomplished something significant over the past ten days. They allowed millions to make journeys to congregate in peace. Arba’een also represents reconciliation, as reports of Sunnis opening up their homes to Shia as they made there way to and from Karbala. And as witnessed this Friday as Shia and Sunni united in prayer, Dawood al-Aloosi, a cleric from al-Kadhimiya district said, “They – referring to al-Qaida – tried to poison us but they do not know that there are nationalists who know very well that Islam is what unites us.” I think that statement expresses well what’s in the hearts of most Iraqis.

Let me now turn to our operations as the coalition continues to work closely with Iraqi security forces, which is producing some real results. On Wednesday, coalition forces conducted an intelligence-driven raid against two wanted al-Qaida terrorists in the Mosul area. Mosul, as you know, is the center of al-Qaida’s terrorist activities today. It is a critical crossroads for al-Qaida in Iraq. Baghdad has always been al-Qaida’s operational center of gravity, but Mosul remains their strategic center of gravity as it provides access to the flow of foreign fighters, a vital source of revenue, and due to the city’s diverse ethnic culture, al-Qaida can more easily blend in. We can track Mosul’s importance to the terrorists themselves. Between half and two-thirds of the attacks we chart across Iraq each day occur in and around this city, but we are making progress.

Working with our Iraqi partners, we have captured or killed 142 al-Qaida terrorists in Mosul since the start of January. I previously announced that back on February 18th, coalition forces captured the military emir for al-Qaida in Mosul. This terrorist directed all of al-Qaida Iraq’s activities in the area, from importing foreign terrorists and smuggling to suicide car bomb attacks and kidnappings. His capture led us to make significant gains in intelligence on al-Qaida’s operations in and around Mosul. On Wednesday, this intelligence allowed us to ascertain the whereabouts of Abu Yasir al-Saudi, also known as Jar Allah. Al-Saudi was wanted by Iraqi and coalition security Forces due to the significant role he played for al-Qaida in Mosul.

After fighting and training in Afghanistan, he was brought to Iraq by Abu Ayyub al-Masri in November 2007, one of four Saudi Arabians appointed to supervise al-Qaida activities in Mosul. He has quickly moved up to run all the terror network operations in southeast Mosul, becoming the most visible and active al-Qaida operative in the area. His network was responsible for the attack on coalition forces on January 28, using a roadside bomb to kill five of our U.S. soldiers. With information provided by his former boss, the emir of Mosul, coalition forces were able to track al-Saudi’s movements. This past Wednesday, air assets followed him and an associate known as Hamdan as they drove a large white truck in Mosul.

Once it was confirmed the vehicle was at a safe distance from innocent civilians, coalition forces fired a missile from a helicopter. As you can see, the precision weapon used in this instance entered the roof of the truck, killing both occupants. The bodies of both terrorists were positively identified at the scene by coalition forces. No other individuals were killed or wounded in this strike. We assess the killing of al-Saudi to be a significant setback for al-Qaida’s plans in Mosul. Here is the cell that al-Saudi was associated with at the beginning of this year. You’ll see that al-Qaida still maintains the ability to attract foreign terrorists willing to come to Iraq to try to spread their corrupt ideology and kill innocents.

And here is what that same network looked like just two months later. We have detained eight of these dangerous terrorists and killed four others. But many still remain on the streets of Mosul, and we suspect that some have fled to avoid capture. Our aggressive pursuit continues. The progress we are making against al-Qaida in Mosul and elsewhere in Iraq is due largely to the cooperation of Iraqi people, who are rejecting the extremism and violence. The people of Mosul are standing up to al-Qaida, but as I remind you frequently, there is still much work to be done. And on that note, I will turn things over to the two leaders to my left who are working to provide the people of Iraq with the services and support they need.

Dr. Tahseen al-Sheikhly is the civilian spokesman for Operation Fardh al-Qanoon. And Brigadier General Jeffrey Dorko is the Gulf Region Division Commander for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Together, they will discuss a range of projects that are underway to ensure that the people of Baghdad have reliable electric power, safe and clean drinking water, and other vital services. At the conclusion of their remarks, we will happy to take your questions. Dr. Sheikhly.

DR SHEIKHLY: Speaking in Arabic.

INT: …forces achieved all this improvement and security and which help us provide and restore the infrastructure in this country. Those, or this security improvement, and as you know, everyone is fighting al-Qaida now at Mosul. And this is an indication that there is an improvement in the security operation that exceeded 70%. And this is a huge percentage that could open new doors to Iraq to improve the essential services and also to start the reconstruction so that we can invite the foreign international companies to come and invest inside Iraq. In talking about the…as far as the reconstruction in the essential services, during the past years, several sides funded most of the projects that provide services in Baghdad. Those sides were the Government of Iraq, the multinational forces, GRD, and other organizations. And all those tried to provide services in Baghdad through implementing several projects. However, despite the good intention and the goodwill to carry out those projects, there is always a complaint that those projects are not being complaint or carried out and finished in a good way due to lack of coordination. This has been presented to our friends, the coalition forces, and we formed the JPC (sic), the Joint Reconstruction Center, and the JROC have been also established where all sides sit down and discuss the projects in the city of Baghdad. And this includes the coalition forces, the Provincial Council, the concerned ministries, and also from the institutes that provide these essential services. This center was able to unite all the efforts in implementing the projects so that it will be one institute that everybody’s working together so that we could provide some acceptable projects. And some of these projects will be finished within the few coming weeks or months or even next year. Those projects are diverse. They include the sewage system and water network and also projects concerning the electricity and the electricity distribution in Baghdad, in addition to finding solutions to avoid any shortage in power production. As for the sewer network, we have a serious problem. The sewage system in Baghdad has not been rehabilitated for over thirty years. And we have a huge contamination in the potable water in Baghdad. And this is due to the old networks that nobody ever take care of. So, rehabilitating and renovating all those sewage networks demands time, effort, and also money. And this has been achieved during the past year. Now, we have over 60% of the sewage network system have been rehabilitated in a good way. Also, the water distribution system is old, and we need to work on it. All the water system distribution can serve four people…or four million people. But now we have eight million people. And now you’re supposed to provide services in providing water for all those eight million people. So there’s a lack in providing those essential services. We have been working for the past year with the cooperation from the provincial council, and the GRD, and the MNF – Baghdad. And they managed to rehabilitate 80% of the water networks in Baghdad. Also, electricity in Baghdad is a huge problem. It includes rehabilitating the networks inside the city and also replacing thousands of wires and transmitters and also to find some real solutions for the problem of electricity in Baghdad. With all the efforts and the energy…and everyone is working to work on this aspect. And I think General Dorko will provide a good representation for all the major projects that have happened, implemented, and are implemented in Baghdad through the coordination between the GOI and the coalition forces. Thank you very much, and we will take your questions after General Dorko speaks.

BG DORKO: Thank you sir. I’d like to thank Admiral Smith and Dr. Tahseen Sheikhly for this opportunity to speak with you today about what the US Army Corps of Engineers is doing to help Iraqis rebuild their country, specifically focusing on Baghdad province. Every day we, along with our coalition and Iraqi partners are making progress in the reconstruction of essential services in the country, and every day our program is yielding positive, tangible results that are significantly improving the lives of the Iraqi people. Next slide.

Currently in Baghdad province, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has more than 150 ongoing projects in areas such as water treatment, sewage, electrical generation, health care, schools, and transportation. The work in Iraq is challenging and difficult, but reconstruction efforts are a vital component to Iraq’s progress toward democracy. It is also just as important that we continue to work together to ensure our efforts are making the maximum impact on Baghdad. In order to do that, we formed the Joint Reconstruction Operations Center under the direction of the Joint Planning Commission, which coordinates and synchronizes the reconstruction efforts throughout Baghdad. The JROC, or Joint Reconstruction Operations Center, consists of representatives of the government of Iraq, the provincial council, the Provincial Reconstruction Team – Baghdad, coalition reconstruction agencies like the US Army Corps of Engineers. The mission of the JROC has been to provide a long-term operations center that intensively manages Baghdad’s essential services and projects and challenges, and help set priorities. The transition of the JROC to operate more directly under the provincial council is taking place over the next few weeks and months, while all parties continue to successfully work together. I’d like to highlight a few projects in the Baghdad province that showcase what our partnership is making possible, the al-Kanad pump station, the Khadamiyah water network, Ghazaliyah sewer network and pump station, the Sadr City electrical distribution network, the al-Bayah West Rashid electrical substation, and the Zafaraniyah sewer trunk line and pump station. The al-Kanad pump station is a $4.4 million project that will provide a reliable supply of raw water to the network in Sadr City, effecting more than 200,000 people. The plant was initially constructed in 1979 and has ten pumps and motors to operate. We installed five new pumps and rehabilitated five existing pumps. The pump station has an estimated completion date of April, and when up and running will employ ten workers. The Khadamiyah water network is a $185,000 project that will provide potable water to more than 2,000 residents and 500 businesses. This is a low budget, high impact project and is an example of how coordination positively affects the communities in Baghdad. This project will be completed in August. The Ghazaliyah sewer network and pump station is a $2.2 million project that will improve the sewer network and services to more than 120,000 residents and businesses in the Ghazaliyah district of Mansur, one of the most highly populated areas in the district. This project will be completed in October. The Sadr City electrical distribution project will stabilize and distribute power to 68 sectors of Sadr City, providing power to more than 600,000 residents. This $100 million project is one of the more successful partnership undertakings to date, with materials being supplied by the US government and project execution being done by the Ministry of Electricity. The projects are expected to be completed in the July to December timeframe. Al-Bayah and the West Rashid 400 KV substation is a $38 million that will provide stability, security, and reliability to the province’s electrical transmission and distribution system, affecting more than two million residents. The project has an estimated completed date of April. The Zafaraniyah sewer trunk line and pump station is a $2.3 million project that will provide a new pump station and sewage conveyance system to the Karada district. The facilities will help prevent health hazards to more than 115,000 area residents and should be completed in June. As you can see through this example of projects, some large, some small, our partnerships are positively impacting the residents of Baghdad. And while I’ve only mentioned a few of the projects that we’re currently working on, we’re making significant headway. Since 2004, we’ve completed 1,127 of our planned 1,336 projects, totaling more than $2.8 billion. Just to give you a snapshot of some of these projects, we’ve completed all 25 of all of our planned fire stations to provide fire protection services to more than 600,000 people. We’ve completed 23 of 30 planned public health care centers to serve three million people annually. The operating clinics are seeing upwards of three hundred patients each every day. We’ve completed 21 electrical generation projects, including major services and overhauls to generators at Qudus, the Baghdad south power plant, and major rehabilitation of two thermal units at Doura power plant. We’ve completed 105 of 115 planned projects for treatment and water supply for 2.5 million residents. We continue to strive for success in helping rehabilitate and build the nation of Iraq, but we’re not doing this alone. By teaming with our Iraqi partners, we’re building the foundation for continued success. Under an initiative called Operation Iraqi First, the Corps of Engineers, along with the Joint Contracting Command – Iraq, has focused efforts on maximizing contract opportunities and awards to Iraqi-owned businesses. Currently, more than 90% of our contracts are awarded to Iraqi-owned businesses. This empowers the citizens of Iraq to play a major role in rebuilding their nation and helps boost the country’s economy. Iraq is a country rich in natural resources and most of all talented people. I’m confident that by continuing to work with our Iraqi partners on reconstruction and focusing on essential services projects, we can help repair Iraq’s infrastructure and help build a brighter future for Iraq. Thank you for your interest in this very, very important part of Iraq’s future.

RDML SMITH: We’d be happy to take your questions. Yes, sir.

REP1: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Question from al-Meddah newspaper to Admiral Smith. Major General Khazamata said there’s a timetable to withdraw the multinational forces from Iraq. Any comment about this? The second question to Mr. Tahseen Sheikhly. The operations in Mosul…

DR SHEIKHLY: The percentage I gave was not in Mosul. It was in all Iraq. Thank you.

RDML SMITH: Certainly. There is no timetable per se to turn over security in any particular area in Iraq, including Baghdad. There is certainly a set of conditions of which both the government of Iraq and the coalition have agreed upon must be met before such turnovers can occur. And as it, as conditions improve in Baghdad, as security improves, as the forces in Baghdad – both the police and army – continue to increase their capability and their capacity, we’ll be ever close to that point in time. But there’s no precise time table set out for that.

DR SHEIKHLY: Speaking in Arabic.

INT: The 70% that I’ve mentioned is a result of the statistics made by the Minister of Interior and Minister of Health, and this is an indication that there is a reduction of the operations or the violence. And this is also an indication of improvement. The results that we’ve witnessed or also there’s…so just an improve…an idea that there was an improvement of 70%.

RDML SMITH: Yes, sir.

REP2: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Question from al-Watan TV. Dr. Tahseen. Question to Dr. Tahseen. With all respect to you, and you’re Iraqi and you know what we go through. We heard so many talk about the improvement in the electricity, but until now, the Iraqi people are suffering from, nobody believes that the power will go back again or will improve. So what makes you think it will improve in 2008?

DR SHEIKHLY: Well, the suffering I know about this, and we have a huge problem in electricity. Let me explain that in briefly. In ‘90-‘91 the infrastructure for the power production was destroyed completely. It was rehabilitated in a small or in a weak way. Until ‘90-‘91, since then, until now, we have a problem in the power production. The former regime never…and due to the sanctions that is…it never rehabilitated the power in a way that meets the needs of the Iraqis. Now we need 10,000 megawatts. And the production is about 4,800 megawatts. And it’s being distributed in all around Iraq. So in the best cases, we get 1,000 megawatt while actually the real need for Baghdad exceeds 3,800 megawatt. This is the fact that nobody can deny or ignore. The improvement in the electricity follows two steps. First is the strategic one through building power plants, and this takes time, like four/five years. And I think the Minister of Electricity said this a few days ago in a press conference. The second step is that establishing other power plants that help the major power plants. But this needs less time. But still, it can’t fill the need, the strategic need that we need. We have five power plants that are being built around Baghdad. So, if we change the fuel that is being used in those power plants, and changing the fuel that we had had been done to fill the need in power…Yes, we did not make any great promises, but we said the work is ongoing to improve the electricity in Baghdad. This is what we said. We never gave any promises.

RDML SMITH: Please use the microphone.

REP2: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Announcing that….when do you think we will witness any kind of improvement?

DR SHEIKHLY: I don’t think that I could or anyone could give you a specific answer in this. If you have the…or we can work on four steps. First is providing fuel, and this is an important thing. Two, building power plants in a good way that meets the increasing need and the demand of the electricity because every year the demand on the power increase. Third, educating people about using electricity itself. And this is a good thing. When you take ten amperes from a generator, I think you can use, or you usually use more than you take from the generator. So the thing is, we need to educate people on how to use electricity. And the last point is security. So, if security is established in a good way, we can also guarantee the power production in a good way.

RDML SMITH: Yes, sir.

BROOKS: Question for the Admiral Smith. Brad Brooks with the AP. I was just curious if you had any update on the bishop who was kidnapped in Mosul. And also, if you had any comments on the forecast that the commanding officer there was quoted as saying, I think he said that the city would be under control by July. I was wondering if here in Baghdad if you guys agreed with that.

RDML SMITH: First of all, we certainly condemn the kidnapping of any citizen of Iraq, certainly a religious figure such as the bishop, is a very unfortunate event. I suspect there is a great deal of effort, and I know there is a great deal of effort, by the Iraqi police and Iraqi army along with the coalition to work our way through this particular issue, and I don’t think it’d be helpful to say anything more up here regarding that status. As again, time tables and pronouncements of dates that we’re going to eventually have control or turnover I think are difficult to make. And certainly, we have said in the past that this is a tough fight. There’s a lot of fluidity in the situation. There’s a lot of variables that are hard to predict. I suspect we will make all sufficient efforts towards achieving our goals as rapidly as possible. And security Mosul is certainly one of those goals. But at the precise time in the future that will occur will be difficult to predict. Yes, sir.

REP3: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Dr. Patul from the Media Union. Dr. Tahseen Sheikhly and General Dorko, we have Iraqi engineers that they can build the solar system. Why don’t you cooperate with those people, with the engineers?

DR SHEIHKLY: Well, I’ll answer and then General Dorko. This alternative method of using electricity or power is not a radical or an essential thing to solve the problem. We can’t, or this alternative method cannot provide the need that we have. It could be used to fill some shortages in working or in trying to work some lights or heaters, that is. So, the benefits of those systems is limited, and this would also limit the demand that we want from the power plants. But the alternative system of providing electricity is limited, and I think General Dorko can provide more details about this.

BG DORKO: And could you rephrase your question again to make sure I understand exactly what you’re asking?

REP3: Speaking in Arabic.

INT: There are some, several Iraqi engineers that can build these sonar systems. Solar systems. Sorry.

BG DORKO: Yeah, as Dr. Tahseen pointed out, solar systems can be built, but solar systems are generally very expensive to build. When you look at power systems, power systems generally to build generation, a rough standard worldwide is it costs approximately $1 million to create a power plant to generate one megawatt of power. So $1 million for one megawatt. The cost per one megawatt for solar power is several times that, maybe $6 million or $7 million per megawatt. So if you have a limited amount or resources…solar has a great application, often in a system that’s very big and mature where it can augment the system. But when you’re trying to provide basic needs and the basic loads available, usually the best use of your money is to buy more conventional power, in terms of gas turbine generators or thermal generators, just as the Ministry of Electricity is doing right now. So, you’ll be able to buy more capability for a given amount of money over a period of time in installing more conventional power means.

RDML SMITH: Go ahead, please.

REP4: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Question to Dr. Tahseen. The commanding operation of Baghdad issued some new orders saying that since…there will be a new instructions for presenting the personal identification card on the checkpoints. Why is this happening?

DR. SHEIKHLY: Well, using the official documents is an important thing to make sure of someone’s identity. Our security forces will deal with the person according to the official documents that he carries, of course. And at the same time, we give a chance to the citizen so that it could show his official document. It doesn’t aim, of course, to cause some problems, but we’re trying to find a good way of cooperation between the Iraqi citizen and the security forces so that we could always pinpoint the infiltrators who come from outside the country.

REP4: But there are some fake IDs.

DR SHEIKHLY: We will work on them.

RDML SMITH: Please.

REP5: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Admiral Smith. Question to Admiral Smith. You mentioned that, or the Arba’een visit was a successful one. But there were some violations and attacks that happened in Iskandariyah. But the road between Kirkuk and Baghdad was not fully protected. And how…could you tell us how this happened and why this violation and attacks occurred despite the tight security procedure?

RDML SMITH: I think you can rest assured that the Iraqi government recognized its responsibilities to safeguard the millions that participated in this year’s commemoration. It was not without violence, as you pointed out. And this is a country that still respects the freedom of individuals despite the level of security that’s necessary, meaning the individuals still have the right to move about the streets. They’ve been able to freely, in this case, again, commemorate such an important part of their cultural religious culture. It does impose some risk on doing that. But the point which is that the Iraqi government made all efforts to secure the areas as much as possible, still allowing for this freedom of movement. The enemy understands that, and the enemy looks for vulnerabilities. In the case of the attack in Karbala, it was a rest tent in which an individual entered that tent strapped with a bomb and killed many individuals. Violence like that is unfortunate. It’s regrettable. And I think the Iraqi people have denounced that violence universally.

And, in fact, as I mentioned in last Friday’s prayers joined together Sunni and Shia to denounce the kind of intimidation and hatred that al-Qaida and others purport on the people of Iraq in these periods of time. But as much as we regret, as much as it’s an unfortunate incident, it’s impossible to prevent such occurrences from happening anywhere in Iraq at any given time. Yes, ma’am.

MASSARI: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Majda Massari from the [unintelligible] Baghdad.

MASSARI: Sir, I want your answer please. Speaking in Arabic.

INT: All the developed countries, they don’t have those outages and the lackage in electricity. Why do we use the same method to solve the problem of electricity? Do you think it’s a problem now? It’s been five years now that we can’t rebuild and establish electricity.

DR SHEIKHLY: Speaking in Arabic.

INT: Let’s be honest. You’re asking about the methods to solve electricity. We discussed everything, and we also presented some proposals. And we also set a timetable to solve all those problems. All those who are working in the Ministry of Electricity made a plan with the Minister of Electricity so that the plan goes to 2017 to build the infrastructure in a good way. And that’s the plan, so that we can also meet the future needs. However, the plan for the next four years is a really good one. We’re planning to build power plants, and it’s not an easy one. It needs time. You say that we haven’t been doing anything for the past five years. And I would like to tell you that since 1991 nothing has been achieved. Nobody can say, nobody can comment anything about the things that haven’t been done since 1991, but you always complain about what haven’t been done in 2003. Do you think that for the past three or five years was there a security stability to carry out projects? Do you think that there was a really political stability to carry out all those projects? All those things were not available. The first year was run by the multinational forces. Then we received…or had several governments. We’re talking about the achievements that we’ve done for the past two years. And the achievements that we’ve done within those two years are really good. Now, we’re still working on projects, and those are all ongoing projects. But they still need time. But you have to give us some time so that we could end those and finish those projects because they will meet the need. But of course, making promise is wrong. We shouldn’t set a timetable for the improvement of electricity or anything or saying that it will end in a certain or in specific date because the circumstances and valuables like fuel, security. All those things influence the implementation of the projects. That’s why you have to take all this into consideration. I’m not saying that we don’t have any projects. Yes, we do. We have several projects and most of them will be finished. And those projects will eliminate all the problems, not only in electricity but in all the aspects as well.

BROOKS: Brad again with the AP. I was just hoping, could you confirm that the US is not providing any security for the Iranian President during his visit? And then given, you know, the accusations that have been made against the Iranian government in terms of supporting Shiite militias in Iraq, I’m just curious if, what is the military’s feeling of the president of that country visiting?

RDML SMITH: I think I’ve said on last week we met that the primary responsibility for the security of this visit will be with the Iraqi government, and that remains to be the case. The coalition will be in support as required, but he principal security will be…foremost will be by government of Iraq security forces. We’ve said often that the government of Iran has a responsibility, as any neighbor in the region does, to provide a secure and stable environment for Iraq’s future. Any influence it can make that’s a positive one, we welcome. Any influence that’s a negative one, we would certainly suggest that they need to find ways to turn that around. So a visit by a head of state to this sovereign country of Iraq is a very important one, and we hope that it produces real tangible results in a positive way. Okay.

REP6: Outside of the security issue, what if there is a request, for instance, a helicopter to take the Iranian president down to Najaf or Karbala, as some people suggested might occur. Would the United States military be willing to, you know, make use of its helicopters for that kind of thing?

RDML SMITH: Again, I think the government of Iraq has all the capacity to be able to deal with the movement of the presidential visit team. And in any circumstances related to his security on the ground, we’re principally going to be in a position of backup. And that backup would be largely in the areas of support where the Iraqis would not have that capability. Lift is certainly not among them. They have their own helicopters as you know, as well as fixed wing. Any other questions please.

REP7: Asking question in Arabic.

INT: Dr. Tahseen. There are two buildings that the building of the ministry of the planning. There are two, those buildings…

DR. SHEIKHLY: Those two buildings are among several others that everyone is demanding to reconstruct them. Not only because they have become a safe haven for the terrorists like the Air Force Club in [unintelligible] Square and also another one in [unintelligible]. All those buildings the Government of Iraq took this seriously. As for the building of the Ministry of Planning, the Korean government suggested that we renovate this building. But at that time there has been problems of people getting inside and outside that place, because it’s near the Ministry of Defense. Now, we have a new resolution that has been issued, so that one of the companies can come and renovate those companies, or buildings. We’re making a study for all those buildings that are still empty so that we can follow up and we can know the status of all those empty buildings.

RDML SMITH: Any other questions? If not, I thank you for your attendance. I know there’s a busy day today, and I appreciate. We’ll see you though later this week. Bye bye.

DR. SHEIKHLY: Shukran jazilan. [Speaking in Arabic].