PRESS CONFERENCE: MND-C Operational Update: Col. Battaglia, Feb. 18, 2009
Multi-National Force-Iraq
Col. Philip Battaglia, commander, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division - Center, provides an operational update.
PRESS CONFERENCE:
Colonel Philip Battaglia, Commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division - Center
DATE: February 18, 2009
REPORTERS:
Trenton Daniel from McClatchy Newspapers
Other reporters were not identified by name or media outlet.
REPORTERS 1-11
REP1 = REPORTER 1
INT = INTERPRETER
[PH] = PHONETIC SPELLING
COL BATTAGLIA: Alright. Well, thank you very much and good morning. I am Colonel Philip Battaglia, and I’m the Commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, and we’re based out of Ft. Hood, Texas, and our current deployment started back in June of 2008.
To start off, let me just tell you a little bit about our current operating environment. The 4th Brigade currently operates in three provinces in Southern Iraq – Muthanna in the west; Dhi Qar, our central province; and finally, Maysan to our east, which borders with Iran. All three provinces are under provincial Iraqi control, which of course means that the provincial government and the Iraqi Security Forces are leading the efforts to protect the Iraqi people.
My mission is twofold: First, I assist and advise the Iraqi Security Forces to enhance their capabilities as they secure the population, defeat terrorists, interdict the flow of munitions into Iraq. And my second purpose is to enable the capacity-building efforts of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams. The “Long Knife Brigade”, that’s how we’re known, is accomplishing this mission through the Iraqi Security Forces as we transfer all security efforts to the Iraqi Army, the police, and the border enforcement agencies as outlined in the new security agreement. With the ISF in the lead, we will continue to work very closely with the Army, the border enforcement units, and the local police every single day on a wide variety of security and capacity-building tasks in order to continue to enhance and professionalize these forces.
Through the growth of their technical and tactical capabilities, the Iraqi Security Forces have become a lethal and professional force that is capable of providing security to the citizens of Iraq. The Iraqi Security Forces, assisted by the Long Knife Brigade, have arrested over 200 suspected terrorists and criminals and seized more than 9,000 munitions, to include the improvised explosive devices and EFP materials. The provinces are overall, stable. And we’ve seen the security in this area improve significantly since our arrival in July. The successes of the recent provincial elections are positive indicators of the great strides that the ISF have made in being able to operate independently. This is a much different Iraq and it is exciting to watch this nation continue to grow.
With that, I would like to pause and answer any question that you may have. Thank you.
REP1: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: I have two questions. First, you control the province, one of them is the Iranian border. Are there any violations from the Iranian side with weapons and Iran to Iraq infiltrators? We’ve got seven or eight month’s before the elections. So many parties in the south did not achieve the idea I think in the recent election. Do you think there will be any violence with...caused by these parties in the south?
COL BATTAGLIA: Make sure that I understood your question and that was if we had seen any movement of people or munitions across the border. I will address that first, and then I will ask you to repeat the second question.
My forces operate very, very closely with the Department of Border Enforcement soldiers along the Iranian border. We assist and operate throughout that area and assist those forces in growing in their capacity. And I can tell you that they are...every day, they’re getting extremely much more capable in their ability to secure the Iraqi borders.
What I can tell you is that in our period here, we have found many munitions, Iranian-made munitions in Maysan Province, in the Amara area, with a manufacturing date of as late as 2008. We have never captured any actual munitions being smuggled across the border, but you must understand that the border is very open and there are many families and tribal...that there is movement across quite freely.
Did that answer your question, sir?
REP1: [Responds off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: Good. Thank you. Any other questions?
REP2: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: My question is what kind of operations or effort are you contributing to the reconstruction of Iraq, not only in the security arena, but also in the reconstruction program? What kind of effort you can do regarding these issues?
COL: Thank you for that question. As you mentioned, I do a lot of work in assisting and enabling the 10th Iraqi Army, General Habib. I work very closely with the three provincial police chiefs—in Maysan with General Saad, in Dhi Qar with General Sabah, and of course, in Muthanna with General Kaddam[ph].
But I also enable the Provincial Reconstruction Team in their efforts in working with the local provincial officials. I can tell you that there is a lot of work that they’re doing in enabling the capacity of the local governments in being able to build the knowledge and the structure so that the local provincial governments are able to better provide for the Iraqi people. There are some in...and these efforts include economic, rule of law, in the medical field. So there’s a lot of great work that’s being done by our partners from the State Department in the Provincial Reconstruction Teams.
REP2: [Speaks briefly off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: Sure.
REP3: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: There’s an [unintelligible] issues regarding the professional responsible, while there is so many weapons remaining, contaminant materials. There are many reports about searching in these issues and on the media outlet. Are there any plans to get rid of these remains of war, as you are expert in this field?
COL: Let me make sure I understood your question. [It’s] about munitions and weapons that are still out there. Is that correct, sir?
REP3: [Clarifies question in Arabic.]
INT: About the result of the war, we have a report in all the media outlet...
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it is true. There are a lot of weapons out there; you know, weapons that are new, that I talked about before, that we have found. But many of those caches of weapons have decreased dramatically since back in June when we worked with the Iraqi Army in Basha’ar al-Salam, the operation in Maysan Province. So those have decreased dramatically the number of caches of explosives that we’re finding.
What I will tell you is that just yesterday, unfortunately and very tragically, we had five young kids in Maysan Province, in Amara, that were playing soccer, and an old explosive – probably from the Iran-Iraq War – that it blew up and it killed these five kids. Now, we’re working closely with the 38th Iraqi Army brigade out there with our mine detectors to make sure that we go over all of the public areas to get rid of those unexploded ordinance from long ago. So, you know, I hope that we can help with the Iraqi Security Forces to get rid of all of these old explosives.
Sir, I think you were next. Right behind you.
REP4: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: You mentioned earlier that the security is stable in three provinces with the presence of your forces. Can you give us a percentage of security there? With implementations of the security agreement between USA and Iraq, you are present outside the country; the locations of...where will that be? And the numbers of the camps where the U.S. forces will redeploy outside these three provinces.
COL BATTAGLIA: I’m not sure I understood the question in terms of what you mean by outside of the three provinces. What I can talk to you about is the three provinces that I operate in.
REP4: [Clarifies question in Arabic.]
INT: Your force are present in three province.
COL BATTAGLIA: Right. Correct.
REP4: [Continues speaking in Arabic.]
INT: In June, suppose all those troops will go outside....
COL BATTAGLIA: Okay. Yeah.
REP4: [Continues speaking in Arabic.]
INT: The numbers of the camps. You are in the south in Iraq.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah, yeah. I think I understand your question and let me address. My brigade, as I spoke before, operates in the three province in partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces. The locations that my forces are located, almost all of them are outside of the cities as we speak.
And I can tell you that since last June, when we came into Iraq, we have been operating within the framework of the security agreement. All my operations are conducted in coordination with the Iraqi Security Forces. And what that means is we plan ahead of time what we’re going to do, and then we – either Iraqi police or Iraqi Army – we go out together to conduct an operation. And then we conduct an after-action review back in our camps. So we are working within the security agreement and there has been very little change for us, for my brigade, since the implementation of the security agreement on 1 January.
To go back...what you mention is...my forces are co-located, either with Iraqi Army compounds and so—and most of those are outside of the cities.
Did that answer your question, sir?
REP4: [Repeats question in Arabic.]
INT: About the first...I have...I want a percentage of the security in those three...
COL BATTAGLIA: Oh, okay.
INT: ...provinces.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. I tell you, it’s hard to put a percentage on security. But what I will tell you is that I am extremely confident of the abilities and the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Force leaders. General Saad, the police chief in Maysan, he’s a great friend and he is out there every day with his police maintaining order and maintaining the security in Maysan Province. General Habib, the 10th Iraqi Army Division commander, a very effective division. They are able to conduct operations on their own. We provide some assistance, some advice, but for the most part, they’re conducting their own operations as was exemplified during the elections. Same thing, General Sabah in Dhi Qar, an extremely charismatic, a great friend, very capable. And he has the security in Nasiriyah without a problem, without coalition...the need for my soldiers to be in Nasiriyah.
So I’m not going to give you a percentage, but I will tell you that I am extremely confident of the leaders...the Iraqi Security Force leaders that I work with.
REP5: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: What kind of armed operations are undergoing in these provinces? Can you tell us specifically?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. We...it ranges...a wide range of...wide range of operations. First of all, we do, you know, we do training for the Iraqi Security Forces in how to collect evidence, how to search cars and locations. We also work with the...in the provincial police headquarters....
No? Wrong question.
REP5: [Clarifies question in Arabic.]
INT: I don’t mean the military operation. I mean the armed operation, terrorist armed operation.
COL BATTAGLIA: Right, yeah. Well, part of that is, yes, we conduct operations against terrorists. And usually, you know what happens is, if we have information or the Iraqi Army or police have information, we go out, seek a judicial warrant for that individual, we present the evidence to the investigative judges, get a warrant, and then we plan the operation with the Army and police forces, and we usually go out together to make the arrest. And we do those all the time.
Was there someone else? Sir?
REP6: Arthur [Unintelligible] from the [Unintelligible]. Good afternoon, Colonel. I just wanted to follow up on your answer to the...following the incident in Maysan yesterday. I was just thinking, bearing in mind the timetable of SOFA, is there any actual procedure put in place for clearing of unexploded ordinance once the U.S. military leaves Iraq? Because as you explained, you know, the shell that blew up yesterday...
COL BATTAGLIA: Right, right.
REP6: ...was probably 30 years old.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah.
REP6: You know and bearing in mind there is U.S. ordinance, Iranian ordinance, Iraqi ordinance, and all sorts of...
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah.
REP6: ...other things lieng about. Is there at this stage any kind of planned structure for that?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. I will tell you that the weapon explosive company from the 10th Iraqi Army Division is currently working in Maysan Province to clear some of these minefields and to render safe the unexploded ordinance. So there is work right now that’s being done by the 10th Iraqi Army to clear those minefields out there. But, you know, there’s a lot of stuff out there. There really is a lot of stuff. So...but they’re doing great work in clearing some of the areas up along the border and outside of the city.
REP7: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: After a meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Iraq about weapons and [unintelligible], the ambassador said, “Can you prove that it was an Iranian-made weapon?” Second question. After entering a bowling[?] box from Iran through Mahalan[ph], one of the checkpoints caught this fake bullet weapon. And the officer in charge was transferred to another unit after this accident.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah, I.... Sir, I’m not familiar with the incident that you described at the end of your question. Here’s what I can tell you. What I know is that some of the rockets that we found had apparent Iranian marking and with a date-of-manufacture stamp of 2008. And that’s what I know. We did not see ‘em come across specifically. But that’s all that we know and that’s what we found last summer and last fall throughout Maysan Province and in Amara and that area.
REP7: [Repeats question in Arabic.]
INT: The ambassador said, “Can you prove it is an Iranian-made weapon?” The ambassador said...the Iranian ambassador Iran said, “I want to prove that existence of Iranian’s weapon here in Iraq.”
COL BATTAGLIA: Sir, I don’t know the answer to that. A lot of those explosives, we... you know we turned them over to the Iraqi Army and police for their...for the destruction of those weapons. Some of them were taken back to be further analyzed, but I don’t know the answer to that.
REP7: [Speaks briefly off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: Thank you. Shukran.
REP8: Hi. Trenton Daniel, McClatchy Newspapers. I have a follow-up question to what the gentleman just asked. And I was wondering, could you give any details regarding the munitions that have come over from Iran? You mentioned rockets, but could you give me more details in terms of, you know, what it is exactly that you are finding? Also, any details regarding the quantity. Does this represent, you know, how does this compare to what you all have found in previous years?
COL BATTAGLIA: I tell you, I’m not...I couldn’t tell you about what previous years. But, you know, what we found—and I don’t have off the top of...I don’t have my chart with me in terms of specifics of what we had, but it was hundreds of rockets – 107 millimeter rockets, 122 millimeter rockets. We also had...I think it was about 500 of the IEDs or EFPs actually, you know. And then stacks—and these EFPs were in various stages of construction, from fully assembled with the detector on there, to just EFP, and then, you know, the various arming devices for ‘em. You know stacks of hundreds of the copper plating that is used on the EFP to, you know, to penetrate the armor of the vehicles. And...you know and then there were some other small arms like mortar rounds, the 82 millimeter mortars and, you know, weapons and so forth.
But clearly the most dangerous ones that we found were the rockets and the EFPs and IEDs. And literally we had hundreds of ‘em. We had about, like I said, about 400 EFPs that we had found in various caches in Maysan Province.
REP8: [Speaks briefly off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: You’re welcome.
REP9: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: There were sleeping cells in this area and in other areas. If USA withdraws from this and those sleeping cells return to action, is there a plan or cooperation to work again against these sleeping cell?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. We...you know we have received reports of what you refer to as sleeper cells and...but frankly, I don’t know. What we do know is that we share that information with the Iraqi police. And I can tell you that the Iraqi police in Maysan and Dhi Qar Province have been very, very effective in arresting criminals and arresting other terrorists. So, in my opinion, I’m very confident of their abilities to be able to handle what any of these sleeper cells.
Did that answer the question?
REP9: [Speaks briefly off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: Good.
REP7: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: You didn’t say anything about the officer...the official in charge of the three provinces and after bowling[?] box enters from Iran.
COL BATTAGLIA: Sir, can you repeat the question, please?
REP7: [Repeats question in Arabic.]
INT: I have two questions. First—you answered the second...the first one. The second...my second question is regarding an officer. He is in charge in three provinces. Bowling[?] box entered from Iran to inside the Iraqi territories through Iran. So many media outlets give this report about this officer.
COL BATTAGLIA: Sir, I’m sorry. I am not familiar with that case in particular. I...truly, I’m sorry. Yeah. Yeah.
Any other questions? Okay.
REP10: I mean clearly the U.S. military and the Iraqi Security Forces have made tremendous headway in terms of establishing security here in Iraq. However, I was wondering—and just to play devil’s advocate—I mean is there...I mean do you have any concerns about anything down the road?
COL BATTAGLIA: Well, of course we...you know I’ve told you some great, wonderful new stories about the development and the growth of the Iraqi Security Forces – the Army, the police – you know. But I will tell you that there is still a lot of work that they need to do.
One area that we have identified, and frankly the...you know the Army has identified, is, for example, in logistics. And everything from maintenance – maintenance training, maintenance repair parts. Medical – medical supplies. And all forms of logistics.
You know this is a young army that is only...you know is only a few years old, so they have a lot of systems that they have to build. And it will take...you know, frankly, it will take many years for them to build those systems to be able to sustain themselves with...and conduct independent operations.
Also, give you another example is what we call enablers, which are those...that equipment that helps us conduct operations, everything from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms like the unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and other special equipment; artillery, which the Iraqi Army still has not fielded.
So they’re doing very well and they’re conducting independent operations, but there’s still a long way to go for the Iraqi Army to be an army in itself and being able to support themselves for an extended period of time on their own. That’s my personal opinion; that’s what I’ve seen. So there is still a ways to go.
REP11: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Are there any talks between U.S. and Iran about the relations between the two sides according to your expert information? And does this talk...will it lead to improvements in the relation between the two country’s?
COL BATTAGLIA: Sir, I’m a simple colonel, a brigade commander in my army. And clearly that kind of question is best answered by some of our senior leaders and some of our, you know, perhaps, embassy folks. That’s clearly outside of what I do on a day-to-day basis. Okay. Thank you.
Okay, well, look. If there are no other questions, then I would like to thank you all for attending today.
In closing, I am very optimistic about the future of this country as a sovereign nation due to the outstanding accomplishments of the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces. The ISF continue to gain capacity daily as I have just talked to you about. And they are developing into a professional and lethal force, capable of independently securing their citizens and its sovereign borders.
I have the utmost confidence in the leaders and the capabilities of the Iraqi Army, police, and border enforcement agencies within my area of operation. At the invitation of the Government of Iraq and in compliance with the security agreement, we will continue to support the Iraqi Security Forces daily as they continue on their current path of success.
With that, I would just like to take a brief minute to express my sincere gratitude to the troopers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team. They are true professionals in their fields, and their dedication to the partnership mission is a prime factor in the successful progress of the Iraqi Security Forces that they are making on a daily basis.
I would also like to thank the American people for their continued support. But more importantly, our families back home for all their sacrifices as well. The thoughts, prayers, letters, packages truly contribute to our soldiers’ ability to do their job and stay motivated.
All of you are an integral part to our success and we’re all in this together. We truly are all in this together. So thank you very much and thank you for being here today.
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