PRESS CONFERENCE: Operational Update: Col. Philip Battaglia, May 27, 2009
Multi-National Force-Iraq
Col. Philip Battaglia, commander, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, provides an operational update.
PRESS CONFERENCE:
Colonel Philip Battaglia, Commander of the 4/1 CAV, Multi-National Division - South
DATE: May 27, 2009
TRANSCRIBED BY: SOS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
PARTICIPANTS:
Colonel Philip Battaglia, Jonathan Blakely from National Public Radio, Anthony Shadid from The Washington Post, Michael Christie from Reuters, and nine Arabic-speaking reporters, not identified by name.
REPORTERS 1-12
REP1 = REPORTER 1
INT = INTERPRETER
[PH] = PHONETIC SPELLING
COL BATTAGLIA:
Good. Alright. Great. Okay, great. Well, thank you very much and good afternoon. I am Colonel Phil Battaglia, and I’m the commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st In-...Calvary Division. Now we’re finishing our 12-month deployment and we’re in the process of changing out with a new unit and redeploying my brigade back to Texas.
We have been operating in three provinces this past year in Southern Iraq: Muthanna in the west; Dhi Qar, our central province; and finally, Maysan in the east. Our mission has been to train, advise, and enable the Iraqi Security Forces across the three provinces, and to enable the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in their efforts to improve governance and economic capacity in the... you know, with the Iraqi provincial governments.
Now, as I look across 12 months of operations, the growth and improvement that we have observed has been truly staggering and more than I ever thought possible. Foremost, we have seen amazing growth in the professionalism and the competence of the Iraqi police, the border enforcement units, and the Army in our area. We are now in a positive spiral where increased security provides more opportunity for training, which yields a more effective force and, in turn, even better security.
During our tour, the Iraqi Security Forces, assisted by my brigade, have arrested over 200 suspected terrorists and criminals, and seized more than 9,000 munitions to include IEDs, the improvised explosive devices, and EFPs, the explosively-formed penetrators. We have also seen the ISF dramatically improve their targeting processes by obtaining warrants for arrest to apprehend criminals and terrorists. We witnessed the Army and police work with the Iraqi election officials to secure the population during recent successful and credible provincial elections. The Iraqi Security Forces in our three provinces independently provided security at all voting locations at a time of increased vulnerability. Led completely by Iraqi government institutions and secured by Iraqi forces, this election proved that change could occur at the Iraqi ballot box.
During our tenure, the 10th Iraqi Army Division added a new brigade, the 41st Brigade, in Southern Maysan Province. This 3,000-man brigade is now conducting effective operations throughout the marshes of Southern Maysan. Just last month, the 10th Iraqi Army Division conducted Operation Lion Roar, and this was a live-fire exercise, where the division demonstrated its ability to combine Iraqi ground and air assets with coalition fire support assets to demonstrate their lethality and their capability. This event clearly demonstrated the growing capability of the Iraqi Security Forces to secure Iraqi sovereignty.
In addition to these achievements, we turned the security of the Shaq[ph] al-Qar[ph] Bridge, which is over the Euphrates River, the soccer stadium in Amara, and the ancient Ziggurat of Ur, a national treasure to the Iraqi people, over to the Iraqi Security Forces.
My brigade worked hand in hand with the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in each of the provinces to improve governance and economic conditions. Our team assisted the local governments to spend 34.7 million Iraqi dollars in projects to improve essential services. These projects provided an average of 3,400 jobs each month to local citizens. We also hired a local trucking company to move coalition supplies around our locations, which created over 1,000 additional employment opportunities and took 600...approximately 600 U.S. military vehicles off the roads of Iraq. The focus of these projects has been agricultural development and clean water. The local governments and the PRTs are working 22 agriculturally-focused projects. The PRT and my brigade’s civil affairs personnel supported the local government to allocate 10.4 million Iraqi dollars to repair and renovate 27 water treatment facilities.
In summary, Southern Iraq is a much better place to live and raise a family than it was a year ago. The good news story of this past year for me is two-fold. First is the improvements and progress of the Iraqi Security Forces, and also the local governments’ improved capacity to provide essential services and economic opportunities to their people. We have had an amazing year and we are proud to have been part of all these recent successes.
And with that, I would like to pause and answer any questions that you may have. Thank you. Yes, sir.
REP1: Hi, Colonel. Jonathan Blakely from National Public Radio. What do you see as the next challenge down in the south, particularly leading up to the elections and then maybe even six months after that? What will be the U.S. presence after you pull out? And on a separate note, if you can just talk a bit about the status of the drought down there.
COL BATTAGLIA: Let’s take those one at a time. I may have...I may ask you to come back with me. The challenges—I think you talked about that—and that is, of course, the national elections. We had very successful, credible provincial elections and we want to make sure that that happens for the national elections.
I think the biggest challenge that we’re...that the local governments are facing right now is a...it’s a matter of expectations. The Iraqi people voted some folks out because they did not deliver services, they did not deliver improved quality of life. So these new governments are now...have a challenge of meeting those expectations of their people. Okay?
REP1: The U.S. presence.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. U.S. pr-...talking about the U.S. presence, what I will tell you is what I know as of right now. My brigade, and with its six battalions, is being replaced by another unit, a like-sized element— same capabilities, same number of units. So for the three provinces that I operate in, for the foreseeable future, there is a brigade that is operating there.
REP1: [Unintelligible] the drought.
COL BATTAGLIA: The drought: I’ll tell you, very, very, very serious in our area. We know that the, you know, the level of the rivers is much lower. The marshes, you know, with...there’s definite impact—economic, but also social impact with the people. I mean that’s, you know, the Marsh Arabs, that’s where they live. And the drought has affected their capability, their ability to, you know, raise the farm animals, water buffalos, and the agriculture and everything like that. So hopefully we’ll get some improvement. That has been based on— when I talked about in my initial comments—about the 22 water projects. Part of that is to provide clean, potable water. The other part of that is to provide water for irrigation purposes.
REP2: Anthony Shadid from The Washington Post. Colonel, we keep hearing—I know Basra is outside of your purview—but we keep on hearing reports of Basra maybe becoming a little less...a little more precarious lately. And I just wondered if you’re seeing any signs in your area at least of—actually, let me put the question this way: How would you describe the effectiveness these days of the Mehdi Army, of the militia there? And do you see any signs of reorganization or attempts to re-exert their influence?
COL BATTAGLIA: You know I...what I can tell you is that there are criminal and terrorist elements in our area that are conducting attacks against my forces. You know they have not been...they’ve been intermittent, primarily aimed at indirect fire attacks with rockets at our fixed locations, our forward operating bases, and we have also seen some improvised explosive devices. And we have had a lot of success in tracking down and, in partnership with the police and the Army, actually arresting the individuals responsible for those attacks. There is a network out there. What kind of network? What are their...? You know I really couldn’t tell you, you know, if they’re tied to any specific group. I mean I just don’t know, you know?
REP2: [Unintelligible] do you see Iranian influence in any of their actions?
COL BATTAGLIA: You know what I can talk about is...and what I can tell you is the, you know, is the attacks that are conducted against my soldiers from Maysan. The individuals that we capture are locals, okay? Those are local individuals. So...and that’s really what I can talk about.
Yes, sir.
REP3: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: [Unintelligible] clearly. Hold on one second.
COL BATTAGLIA: Okay.
REP3: [Repeats question in Arabic.]
INT: Security for these three provinces you think. I will need your concept for that [unintelligible].
COL BATTAGLIA: Can I get the translator—he had cut out—to...one more time, please?
INT: Yes, sir. We thought your brigade, he’s going to leave these three provinces. We need your thought about the Iraqi Security Forces and what you think about the Iraqis...
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah.
INT: ...are they going to take the responsibility of the security situation?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. As I mentioned in my opening comments, I am extremely confident of the ability of the Iraqi Security Forces: General Habib, the commander of the 10th Iraqi Army Division that operates in the same three provinces as my brigade; General Saad, the provincial police chief in Maysan Province; General Saba[ph] in Dhi Qar; General Qadim[ph] in Muthanna. These have been great partners and I have absolute confidence in their ability to provide security to the Iraqi people in those provinces.
Does that answer your question?
REP3: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Now we’re talking about the whole...general ISF in the whole country. Give us your thought about are they going to take care of the security situation in the future? Not only in the sector of your responsibility, sir.
COL BATTAGLIA: Well, what I can talk about from firsthand knowledge, that I know those individuals personally, are the ones that are in my province. I really can’t speak about the, you know, the national or other Iraqi leaders that are in other parts of the country. But I can tell you I have great confidence in those individuals that I just mentioned in my provinces.
REP4: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: We’re talking about the borders. We know you guys you control the border police. We think this is the first reason with the group terrorists, they go through the borders and smuggle all the weapons. We know if we get under control these borders, we can make some changes around the security situation in all Iraq.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. My brigade has worked very closely for this past year with the 11th Brigade of the Department of Border Enforcement, the DBE. And I will tell you that they have made huge improvements in their ability to secure Iraqi borders. They still have much work to do. They need more equipment and more capability. But the soldiers, they’re very interested in maintaining the sovereignty of Iraq and protecting Iraqi borders.
Does that answer your question, ma’am?
REP4: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Always you guys you think we need a tank...we need a time. But always we’re facing smuggling from the [unintelligible] the borders. And I think the Coalition Forces, they should provide the Iraqi forces some equipment so they can provide the security for the Iraqi people. I guess the Coalition Forces, this is the first thing they should provide security for the border first.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. I agree with you, an increase in security on the border. And I have worked this entire year with a brigade of the Department of Border Enforcement. I can tell you that they are better. Yes, they need more equipment. But clearly, I don’t make that decision on how equipment is transferred or the sale of equipment. But the soldiers are very competent, the Iraqi soldiers are very competent and they are doing their absolute best with the equipment that they have. But I agree with you, they probably need more equipment to better be able to do their job.
REP4: [Speaks briefly off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: Shukran. Yes, sir.
REP5: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: In Baghdad there is a lot of operation, it’s been conduct in the Coalition Forces. There is any conducted, Coalition Forces, in the southern of Iraq? This is...all the operational forces is against the SOFA.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. For the past year, we’ve been very fortunate in our successful partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces. All my operations have been conducted with and through the Iraqi Security Forces, both the police, the Army, and then along the border with the Department of Border Enforcement. So all our operations are conducted with the Iraqi Security Forces. I tell you that even my resupply convoys, my logistical convoys, I have escort vehicles from the Iraqi Army that they escort me when we go from Tallil out to Maysan Province. So we’ve been very lucky with the partners that we have had and they have supported us and conducted combined operations with them.
Go ahead and we’ll—does he have a follow on? Yeah. If he needs to, please.
REP5: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: I want to say some of the operation that’s conducted in Baghdad with the Coalition Forces without the knowledge of the Iraqi forces have been in Baghdad. So, could you tell me what’s happening exactly and this is going to be, like, against the SOFA and there is—the same thing. He repeat the same question, sir.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. I don’t know about Baghdad. I operate in the three provinces – Muthanna, Dhi Qar, and Maysan. So I really can’t talk about Baghdad because I don’t know. I live down in the south. Okay?
Yeah. Please.
REP6: I’m Michael Christie of Reuters. I wanted to follow up on his initial question, which was about working with the Iraqi forces.
COL BATTAGLIA: Right.
REP6: In your area, how often do you actually have, say, U.S. forces that are not under your command come in and conduct operations, say, special forces conducting arrests? And are all of those operations, as far as you’re aware, conducted with...jointly with Iraqi forces? Are there any issues for you operationally?
COL BATTAGLIA: I am the commander of the forces...Coalition Forces that operate in those areas. And there are no other forces that come in, you know, without the coordination through me and also, more important, with the local Iraqi leaders, either the police chief or...and/or the Iraqi division commander. I will tell you that in our area the Iraqi Security Forces—us working together, my brigade working with the Iraqi Army and the police. When I talked about over 200 suspected terrorists and criminals, those were arrests that were done jointly between my forces and the Iraqi Security Forces. More often than not, we have a warrant that we have developed with the Iraqi investigative judges. And once we have that warrant at hand, we coordinate the operation with the Iraqi Security Forces – the Army or the provincial police. And they are the ones going out there, serving the warrant, and arresting that individual.
Yes, sir.
REP7: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: We’re talking about your sector of responsibility, there is a lot of antiquity sites...
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah, right.
INT: ...and...like period to...like short period if you guys handed these site, like antiquity, to the Iraqis. There is any, like, problems after you guys you hand the antiquity site to the Iraqis?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. The...clearly the most famous antiquity site that we have in our area is the Ziggurat of Ur, which is right next to the...to Tallil in my location. We have been...Coalition Forces have been securing that site for the past five years. During my time here we were able to move back the fence and...so that we were able to return the security for the site to the FPS, the Special Antiquity Police for the Iraqi government. And that has been...that was done about a month ago, and I will tell you that they’re...they’ve been very professional. And they have full security of the Ziggurat of Ur and they’re maintaining it very, very well.
Any other ques-...yes, sir. Yeah, please.
REP8: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: One of questions you said we got arrested about almost 200. Could you tell me who...after you guys, you conduct these operations and you took these criminals, did you guys hand all these criminals to the ISF, the Iraqis’ ISF, or you guys keep them?
COL BATTAGLIA: I will tell you that in the 12 months that I have been here, I have not held anybody over, I think, 20 hours. But the bottom line is, I have not held any Iraqi citizens for the past 12 months that I’ve been here. We work very closely with the brigades of the Arm-...of the 10th Iraqi Army Division and those...any detainees, any terrorists that we apprehend during an operation, they’re turned over to the Iraqi police.
REP9: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Rassadan[ph] Newspaper. Brigade commander, all the terrorists you guys...you hold from the conducted operation and you guys interrogate. [Unintelligible] so if you find like these people, they are innocent, you guys are going to hand them to the ISF or you guys, you gonna release them as Coalition Forces?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. I...as I mentioned, as a follow up, is I do not hold and I do not have any Iraqis under my detention. Zero. None. Anyone that is apprehended because of a warrant goes directly into the Iraqi police, to the provincial police. During an operation, anyone that is apprehended is turned over to the Iraqi Army. And we let the police and the Army, they make a decision whether to release or hold onto someone. But that is done through the police and through the Army.
REP10: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: After the 20 hours you said, if you find they are guilty from your...the Coalition Forces, you guys are going to release them or you guys...it’s going to be depend on the Iraqis...ISF decision?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. In accordance with the security agreement, Coalition Forces cannot detain an Iraqi citizen past 24 hours. We have never even come close to that. We turn them over to either the Army or the police once we detain someone during an operation. So it is always the Iraqi police or the Army, it is their decision whether to release or hold depending upon the evidence that we have collected.
Does that answer your question?
REP11: Colonel, in Nasiriyah, back in 2004, there was quite a bit of trouble with Sadr’s forces and they still maintain a significant presence in Maysan. I was wondering if you could describe your relationship with the political leadership of the Sadrist Movement.
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. First off, you know, let me tell you, the team leaders of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams have the lead in the governance and economic capacity building. Hence, they are the ones that have the lead in working with the provincial councils, the governor, and so forth and so on. Now, I have met with the previous governor of Dhi Qar Province on numerous occasions – some in his office, more often that we would, you know, we would be at the same type of event. You know I talked about the bridge turnover, the Ziggurat, you know, turnover that we conducted. So I know, you know, the governor and some of the key PC chair members, you know, very well, either in a social setting or business where we meet somewhere. But the lead in dealing with the provincial government is clearly in the hands of the Provincial Reconstruction Team leader. And Anna Prouse out there in Nasiriyah—I don’t know if you know her—she’s been there for three years. She’s a wonderful, wonderful, great lady working in Dhi Qar Province and Nasiriyah.
REP12: Salaam.
COL BATTAGLIA: As-Salāmu `Alaykum.
REP12: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: For [unintelligible], why you guys, you don’t provide the ISF...like you guys provide ISF some equipment so they can detect all the explosives in Iraq so they can be in the safer situation in Iraq? So what do you think about that, sir?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah. You know I will tell you, with the equipment, I know that the Coalition Forces have provided some equipment, like the humvees that we see and other type equipment. But that...those decisions are made, you know, somewhere else.
What I will tell you is that we have worked very closely with the engineer regiment of the 10th Iraqi Army Division and we have done a lot of training in how to search for and how to disable explosives. And the...you know that engineer regiment, they do have the vehicles, the special vehicles that go look for explosives. And they are well trained, the Iraqi soldiers are well trained in that. They need more, but that capability is within the Iraqi Army.
REP12: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: From where do you think these, like, explosives is coming from out of Iraq? What do you think, sir?
COL BATTAGLIA: Yeah, I...you know that’s...that is hard to say. We have...as I mentioned in my opening comments, in Maysan Province we have uncovered and, with the Iraqi Security Forces, found over 9,000 different munitions – rockets, explosives, and so forth. These caches. Where are they coming from? You know, don’t know. Our security forces haven’t seen somebody carry something. What we usually find are caches, they’re buried or they’re in a house or they’re in a field somewhere. And with tips from local Iraqi citizens, we are able to find those explosives and take them out of the...you know take ‘em away and destroy them to make sure that they don’t harm any more Iraqi citizens.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: [Comments briefly off microphone.]
COL BATTAGLIA: Good. Any other questions?
Well, if there are no other questions, if you will allow me just a couple of comments. First of all, thank you very much for your attendance today. As you’ve heard me mention before, I am extremely optimistic about the future of Iraq due to the tremendous efforts of the Iraqi government, the Iraqi Security Forces which I can speak about in my area, and the Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and the Coalition Forces. The three provinces in Southern Iraq are much better and safer places.
The Iraqi Security Forces have developed into a professional and lethal force capable of independently securing their citizens and its sovereign borders. I have the utmost confidence in their leaders and the capabilities of the Army, police, and the border enforcement agencies within my area of operation. It has been my brigade’s pleasure to partner with these forces this past year and I truly believe that they will continue to have tremendous success. We have made lasting professional relationships and friends and we will truly miss them.
I would also like to briefly congratulate my troopers for a job well done and express my thanks to our families and friends back in the States. It has truly been a team effort this past year. Our families’ sacrifices have allowed us to focus on our mission and to return back to Fort Hood next month with pride in a job well done.
Thank you again for your interest and for your attendance today. Thank you very much. Shukran.
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