31 August 2006
Iraqi Security Forces Gaining Strength, Says Coalition Commander
General Casey envisions diminished U.S. role in Iraq in next 12 to 18 months
Washington – Because Iraqi army and national police units are proving increasingly effective against terrorism and sectarian violence, Multi-National Force – Iraq’s top commanding general predicts that they soon will lead security operations nationwide.
“[O]ver the next 12 to 18 months, I can see the Iraqi security forces progressing to a point where they can take on the security responsibilities for the country with very little coalition support,” U.S. Army General George Casey told reporters in Baghdad August 30.
Iraqi forces are making progress in building an effective, modern force, while simultaneously fighting violent militant groups that target Iraqi civilians, as evidenced by bomb attacks on a Baghdad market, a gas station in the capital and an army recruiting station in Hillah on the day of Casey’s comments. The three attacks killed 38 Iraqis and wounded more than 50.
The Iraqi people “aren't going to have the security that they want until the Iraqi security forces are the primary and dominant providers of security in the country. That won't happen until all militias and insurgents are disbanded,” he said. (See related article.)
The coalition and the Iraqi government have followed a three-step process to develop the security forces, Casey explained. First, Iraqi forces were recruited, trained and equipped to meet the immediate counterinsurgency mission.
Iraqi forces are receiving the equipment they need to deal with the enemy they face. In the coming months, the coalition will continue to send them armored vehicles and aircraft, and help them develop the logistics capability needed to sustain field operations. (See related article.)
The next step, Casey said, involves putting the Iraqis into the lead position, while still offering coalition support.” “When they're in the lead, they're responsible for the area, and we still help them,” he said, noting that this process “is almost 75 percent complete.” In recent weeks, for example, coalition forces have transferred lead security responsibility to five of Iraq’s 10 army divisions. (See related article.)
The final step, Casey said, will be the full transfer of operational responsibility of Iraqi forces. Currently, these forces operate jointly, but in September, a significant shift in the Iraqi army’s command-and-control structure will occur with the transfer of Iraq’s 8th Army Division from the Multinational Corps to the Iraqi Defense Ministry. (See related article.)
Authority for additional divisions will be transferred in coming months, the general said, until “you will have an Iraqi chain of command that goes from the prime minister down to the soldier, without any coalition involvement.”
Iraq’s security force development is progressing very well, Casey said, and ultimately it will evolve into a force of which “the Iraqi people can be proud.”
DISARMING MILITIAS REQUIRES MILITARY AND POLITICAL APPROACHES
Disarming the militias is the ultimate key to success in Iraq, Casey said. This is critical because there are several groups that are “no better than murdering, criminal gangs” that “flout the rule of law every day” and “need to be dealt with firmly by the government, because no government can stand to have criminal groups terrorizing their population,” he said. (See related article.)
Confronting militias is a delicate process however, requiring both military and political initiatives to convince them to lay down their arms and return to society, Casey said. (See related article.)
“There have been ongoing discussions for several months that have produced some political and military steps that we believe will ultimately lead to the disarmament of the militias,” he said.
Casey said the Iraqi-planned and led “Operation Together Forward” that aims to reduce violence in Baghdad is an example of both the Iraqi security forces’ growing capabilities and the challenge of confronting militia groups. (See related article.)
In recent weeks, Iraqi and coalition forces have focused attention on the capital’s most violent neighborhoods, searching thousands of buildings in Dura, Amiriyah, Ghazalia, Shula and Adhamiya to confiscate illegal weapons and detain individuals with suspected links to terrorist and sectarian attacks. (See related article.)
Once cleared of violent elements, the communities benefit from regular security patrols and help identify and fund civic works projects to repair key infrastructure. (See related article.)
Even though Iraqi forces have made significant progress securing the capital in recent weeks, Casey said many challenges remain. (See related article.)
As neighborhoods share increased confidence in their security forces, he predicted they will “feel less need to rely on the militias.” (See related article.)
A transcript of Casey’s briefing, as well as a video link, is available on the Multi-National Force – Iraq Web site.
For more information, see Iraq Update.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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