29 Nov LTG Sanchez Briefing

IRAQ COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY BRIEFING BRIEFER: LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICARDO SANCHEZ, COMMANDER, COALITION GROUND FORCES LOCATION: BAGHDAD , IRAQ DATE: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2003 GEN. SANCHEZ: Hi, there. Is this a different podium here, a little bit taller, so I can hide behind this for a little while? No, I'm kidding. I'm not going to hide from you. Good afternoon, everybody. A great week this week; a great two weeks for the coalition, CPA, and CJTF-7, for America , and for the country of Iraq . Our coalition military forces have continued our sustained offensive operations throughout the country, where we have focused on confronting the enemy at every opportunity. And we intend to sustain the intensity and the rapidity of our attacks, as actionable intelligence becomes available. Simultaneously, our forces continue to play a vital role in civil military assistance and support operations. The coalition is rehabilitating schools, supporting power production, providing water and medical care -- all of this designed to support the journey that we're embarking on together towards accelerated sovereignty for a safe and democratic country of Iraq. During the past 14 days, we have seen the daily average of engagements throughout the country decline by over 30 percent. The last time I talked to you, our engagements were up above 35. We had had some days where we went as high as 50 engagements. And over the last seven-day period, we are down to an average of 22 engagements per day. And this decline, of course, is most significant in the areas where we have taken the fight to the enemy and where we have been the most aggressive in our offensive operations. And I guarantee you that we remain ready to respond, should these engagements increase again. As an example of our offensive operations here in Baghdad , the 1st Armored Division, driven by actionable intelligence, and working in close concert with the Iraqi Security Forces, continues with Operation Iron Hammer. This operation leverages the precise application of air power, Army aviation, and our combat systems to kill or capture the enemy. And General Dempsey reports a decrease of 70 percent in our enemy attacks here in the capital alone. Just in the past week, Operation Iron Hammer has netted over 180 enemy, to include high-level Ba'ath Party officials and a number of detainees believed to have ties to the rocket attacks on the Al-Rashid Hotel. It also includes a whole laundry list of ammunition and weapons that have been captured. In the North-Central region, the 4th Infantry Division is also on the offensive with Operation Ivy Cyclone II. This is also being worked very closely with Iraqi Security Services, and these operations include the targeting of patrols, targeted ambushes, cordon and searches, and raids that once again focus on intel-driven operations, and command and control centers for the enemy operating sites. Once again, since the initiation of Ivy Cyclone, we have seen a significant decrease in the numbers of attacks of the coalition forces in that zone. And some of the tangible results from this operation include the capture of over 600 personnel suspected of involvement in anti-coalition activities; the seizure, once again, of significant numbers of weapons and ammo, and significant amounts of plastic explosives, blasting caps and improvised explosive devices. In the IED area alone, we captured 101 IEDs that were found ready to be employed against our forces. These were found and defused or destroyed. Similar offensive operations continue under way throughout the country, and I assess that we're meeting all of our objectives. Now we have not just been conducting offensive operations across the country. As you all know, we continue with our civil military assistance and our stability and support efforts. In the multinational division's southeast region, the Royal Scots from the 1st Battalion completed a 40-day project to renovate an elementary school in Al Muthanna Province. This investment of over $22,000 will improve the learning environment for over 400 young boys and girls in that community, and we plan to continue to add additional classrooms and other facilities to make their learning environment a lot better than what it's been. In Ramadi, the 82nd Airborne funded a $150,000 project to rehabilitate the Ramadi children's hospital sewage system. This hospital provides care for over 32,000 children annually. And of course this will help improve the pediatric medical care that is provided in the community of Ar Ramadi. Now recently our enemy has increasingly embraced terrorist acts targeting innocent people and civilian infrastructure. These acts are designed to attract media attention, obstruct the significant progress made in essential services, in the economy and in governance. This is an attempt, clearly, to drive a wedge between the Iraqi people and the coalition, to drive a wedge between the coalition and its international components, and to isolate the coalition -- the American elements of the coalition from the rest of its partners. Since the start of Ramadan, attacks on civilian and Iraqi security forces have more than doubled. In the 32 days since the beginning of Ramadan, the enemy has conducted 74 attacks against civilian or Iraqi government officials and 82 attacks against the Iraqi security forces. These are attacks on key officials, such as ministers, police chiefs; as stated, Iraqi security forces; and more importantly, the innocent people of the country. The stark reality that we all have to accept is that these terrorists have no vision for the future of Iraq , except to create or rather recreate a repressive state. Their aim is to intimidate the population, to create fear and uncertainty, and to create a fear among the people that drives them away from the coalition, the emerging governing structures and the security services that have committed to a democratic country. They will not succeed. Our will is unchanged, and the coalition, along with the people of Iraq, remain totally committed to a safe and secure environment, one that will foster the growth of a free, independent and self-governing country without the oppression of the former regime. Thank you very much. I'll now take your questions. Q Hi. Jill Carroll with ANSA. Two things. Would you mind commenting a little on the arrests yesterday in Italy , particularly of one of the suspects tied to the Al-Rashid Hotel attacks? And also, there has been several, you know, targeting attacks against Italian forces from Nasiriyah up to the embassy recently. Is the coalition doing anything, either sharing intelligence or stepping up security, for Italian -- or is anything addressing this sort of increase in attacks? GEN. SANCHEZ: Yes, absolutely. As we all know, the Italian contingent is an integral part of the coalition. All of our coalition intel operations are synchronized at the CJTF level, at the multinational division level. And whenever we find intelligence that is targeting anti-coalition (sic) forces in a given sector, we're sharing that seamlessly with all of our partners. And some of the operations that you refer to are clearly the results of that cooperation, ma'am. GEN. SANCHEZ: Well, in the -- your comment, sir, is that in fact the attacks have increased because they're targeting aircraft and helicopters. The way that we're counting the attacks and the engagements that are occurring in the country is all engagements that we have with anti- coalition forces of any nature is how I state those engagements to you. The combination, whether they are ground engagements or air engagements, all are included in that number. You're exactly right that there have been some increased air activity or anti-air activity across the country. And we're dealing with that and we're prepared to continue to defeat those forces. GEN. SANCHEZ: Sir, your question is whether we've got any new procedures to deal with the violation of human rights that may have resulted from operations like Iron Hammer. I'll tell you no, there are no new procedures, and the reason there aren't any new procedures is because we've had those procedures in place since the July time frame, June-July time frame. We have been very conscious of our interface with the Iraqi people in the conduct of our offensive operations. Since that time frame, we went to precise targeting driven by actionable intelligence, and we continue to enhance those procedures. We continue to integrate the Iraqi security forces in all of our operations. And in Ivy Cyclone and Iron Hammer, we have had Iraqi security forces that have been conducting operations with us all of the time. So if there are, in fact, any incidents that occur with the Iraqi people during the conduct of operations, as I have reiterated multiple occasions, we immediately go back in there to ensure that we're taking care of those individuals and any other infrastructure that may have been damaged inadvertently. In the back. You, sir. Q Thank you. Mark Stone, ABC. You said that the attacks on coalition forces have decreased somewhat in the last few weeks but that attacks against Iraqi civilians and Iraqi security forces are up significantly. Is that not just because they're easier targets and at the same time they're just -- through attacking the Iraqi security forces, they're attacking you indirectly, attacking your progress and preventing your progress? GEN. SANCHEZ: Well, as I have stated, it is clear that the strategy is one to intimidate the Iraqi people, to keep them from embracing a free and democratic country. It is an attempt to isolate the Iraqi people from the progress that is being made across the country and from the initiatives that are being advocated by the coalition. The Iraqi people have committed to this path. They are not going to allow the return of this repressive regime that has been ousted from power. And I think that is a strategic mistake that has been made by our enemy. And the only indicators that we're getting is that the Iraqi people are, in fact, turning against these people that are out there committing these atrocities. It is clearly terrorist acts. They're despicable acts. And the Iraqi people are cooperating more with the coalition to ensure that we eliminate this threat. Q Mike Dorning, Chicago Tribune. I just wanted to kind of follow up on two earlier questions. Number one, given the number of attacks against Iraqi targets as well as American targets, are the number of total attacks falling or rising? Number two, this refers more back to what was going on in the middle of the month, but it seemed like the attacks were becoming more effective in producing American casualties: you know, targeting helicopters, that sort of thing. In view of your answer to question number one and this other fact, do you have the sense that -- can you give us your assessment of to what extent overall progress is being made against the insurgency, if the attacks may be becoming more effective, and the total number of attacks may be more or less the same, and just tell us why you've reached that assessment? GEN. SANCHEZ: Sure. In terms of the total numbers, total numbers both combined has decreased, and they've decreased significantly. In terms of the effectiveness in casualties, the effectiveness in casualties seemed on the increase because of the major events where we had those helicopters that were downed where mass casualties, if you will, were inflicted upon the coalition forces. Overall, when you look at the numbers of casualties that have occurred over time, they have remained fairly consistent. And you take those incidents where we had the attack on the Italians, where you had the CH-47 and our UH-60s that crashed up in Mosul , those were the spikes in casualties that occurred. And clearly, you can't refute that those were effective attacks, and that they incurred -- that we incurred additional casualties or greater casualties than normal. But in terms of my assessment of the overall progress, there is absolutely crystal clear evidence that we are making progress, that there is an increasing confidence in the Iraqi people, and there has never been a question in the coalition forces that we're going to succeed here. And that is displayed every single day out on the battlefield. A clear indicator of the rationale for this assessment is that more Iraqis continue to come in and help us with both ammunition turn-ins, weapons turn-ins, and also, more importantly, in the identification of anti-coalition individuals that have been either targeting or planning to target the coalition across the country. And that is true in all major subordinate command areas. In the back. Q Yeah. Hi. Phil Smucker (sp), freelance correspondent. You talked about the Iraqi police working with coalition forces on the ground. I was up on the Syrian border in Husaybah, and the police there actually wouldn't be caught dead working with the U.S. soldiers as they go on their house-to-house searches. They're quite frightened, in fact. The police chief, as you know, was killed in October. And I'm wondering if there's a pattern across the country of the Iraqi police being afraid to go out on searches with U.S. forces, or is this just an isolated example. GEN. SANCHEZ: I'll tell you that Husaybah is a special place. You know that we've got some focused operations that are going on out in the west. This is a place which is an anti-coalition force stronghold, and we continue to apply significant combat power and focus out there. This is clearly not a pattern. We could take you out and show you efforts that are ongoing in the 101st, the 4th ID here in Baghdad , and then down in the south, where police are in fact cooperating and conducting operations both unilaterally and in coordination with us every single day. And every day I get reports from my commanders of how many joint operations we're conducting, and the numbers are up. Let me turn over here. Yes, sir? GEN. SANCHEZ: I've got your question. Okay. The question is, why did the coalition forces raid a mausoleum in the Balad area and destroy the rear door, that there's no excuse for coalition forces going into this holy shrine. I'm not sure which incident you're talking about, but I can answer your question in general terms. The issue of holy shrines -- since the beginning of this operation, there is unquestionable evidence that we have respected holy shrines across this whole country. We have shown it during the major combat operations phase. We have shown it in the operations in Karbala . We have shown the restraint and the concern and the respect for holy shrines across this country every single time we conduct operations. And when we have to go into holy shrines or when we have to go into mosques, it is in coordination with Iraqi security forces, and we establish the outer cordon, and they're the ones that go in there and conduct the operations. If you could give me the specifics of this operation, I can check into it. And if there's some issue, I'll get back to you on it. Sir? In the back. Q General, it seems pretty clear that the political leadership in Washington has decided to reduce its presence here in the coming year, both in terms of the number of troops that will be here and in speeding up the transition or the sovereignty to the Iraqi people. And I'm wondering if you can talk about the pressure that you and the other generals and officers feel to get the job done militarily before the troops start leaving. And I'm wondering if you could talk about some of the tensions that have undoubtedly arisen between you and the political leadership over this. GEN. SANCHEZ: Well, you make a lot of assumptions in your question. (Laughs.) You're assuming that I'm getting pressure, and then you're assuming that there is tension. I'll be perfectly honest with you. There is no pressure on me from a political leadership to decrease the number of forces that are in this country. Repeatedly, as has been stated by our leadership in Washington , if there is a requirement for forces, what I have to do, as a commander on the ground, is put that requirement on the table. I have stated repeatedly and I will state it here again that as far as I'm concerned, as a commander on the ground, at this point in time, I have no requirement for additional forces. There are a lot of people that are questioning this, except for this commander and the maneuver commanders that are out there executing the mission. Now there is no tension. I guarantee you, there is no tension. Is there a decrease in the total numbers of forces that would occur in Iraqi Freedom II? Yes, there is. But I'll tell you where it's going to occur. Those numbers will decrease in the logistics arena, where we have replaced that capacity with contracting support. It will decrease in the signals capability, the tactical and strategic signals units, because that's been replaced with commercial capacity. We have contracted significant amounts of Iraqi logistical transportation support that allow us to withdraw our transportation assets, to an extent. And also, when you look at some of the major high-intensity conflict capability units that are here, that are no longer required for the environment -- you know, I'm a commander that has a mission to accomplish, and I have to structure the force accordingly. We are moving to a more mobile force, one that has the right blend of light and heavy, that is rapidly deployable across the battle space that I own. And we will have more infantry at the time, and we'll be able to move that force. There are areas where we are willing to accept economy of force operations, and that's how we're going to structure the force over time. So both of the key assumptions that you made, from my perspective, are not valid, and they're not playing on me. Q By Arab (sic), please. (Begins to speak in Arabic.) GEN. SANCHEZ: The lady. GEN. SANCHEZ: What is my comment on the diversity of the means that are being used by the enemy? I think the enemy has shown that he is adaptive. He's shown that he's willing to use just about any means to attack the Iraqi people. It is very interesting to note the targets that you identified -- the Palestinian -- the Palestine Hotel, the Meridian and the Oil Ministry. Those are attacks against the international community and the Iraqi people. And they are using innovative methods to get underneath the security measures that are in place, both Iraqi forces and coalition forces, in order to strike at the heart of a people. We're continuing to evolve as they evolve their tactics, techniques and procedures, and we're defeating them. GEN. SANCHEZ: Okay. I think I captured two questions in there. One was, you know, why did we increase the security levels for the visit of the president. Come on. (Laughs.) (Laughter.) Come on! (Laughs.) First of all, I don't think you know what the increases were in the security posture of the coalition forces here in Iraq ; but I guarantee you it was great. Okay? Second, on your second question, have there been areas that have been isolated, that's exactly what our strategy was. That's exactly what our tactics are to be able to ensure that we understand how elements -- anti-coalition and terrorist elements are moving across the country, so we know when they're coming out of the areas that they've been using as -- possibly as safe havens, and that's part of the technique. That's how we're going to protect the Iraqi people and ensure that we bring this under control and that we can get to that safe and secure environment. Q (Name and affiliation inaudible) -- of Spain . Can you comment on the arrest of the wife and daughter of Izzat Ibrahim al- Douri? Because your announcement was that they were arrested in Samarra , and nobody in that town is aware of that. And wherever it was that the arrest was made, which I'm not sure it was in Samarra , can you tell us if it has led to any leads or in any progress leading to the gentleman himself? GEN. SANCHEZ: I can verify for you that the wife and daughter were, in fact, detained. Okay? And I'll get you the exact location if that's what you're searching for. In terms of the leads that we have obtained, I mean, clearly, I can't talk about what leads we've obtained. Q Are they still detained? GEN. SANCHEZ: Yes. Q Are you still interrogating them? GEN. SANCHEZ: Yes. Q And you cannot tell us of any progress? GEN. SANCHEZ: Oh, of course not. (Laughs.) Of course not. In the back. Sir? No, you, sir. Q Hi. Patrick McDonnell, Los Angeles Times. This is a question about potential infiltration by civilians perhaps working with the military. There has been a reported assassination attempt on one of your colonels up in Mosul . There are some people who think that the attack on the Al-Rashid may have been related to a visit of a senior Defense Department official. Are you concerned at all about infiltration by Iraqi civilians into your bases? Is that a concern of any kind for you? And information going back to the other side -- I'm sorry. GEN. SANCHEZ: Sure. Clearly, those are always concerns when you're in this kind of an environment, sir. We try to do the vetting as best as we can, but we maintain a very close eye on those kinds of issues because that possibility always exists that given the numbers of Iraqis that we're hiring, both for translation and support, inside of our compounds in order to get the economic benefit to the Iraqi people, that could, in fact, happen. Also, when you look at the experience that we have had with the police, as an example, you know, we brought them back on board, we're getting some great successes out of them, but at the same time, there have been instances where the police were conducting attacks against the coalition and working against the people. So that's always a possibility, and we remain very conscious of that and focused on ensuring that that doesn't happen and we can identify it when it does. GEN. SANCHEZ: Okay. First of all, what is the message that President Bush gave to the coalition forces. Let me tell you that if you were sitting there -- I was standing on that podium, and it was electrifying, it was emotional, and it was an unbelievable experience to stand there and feel the intensity of the moment as he walked out onto that podium. Without saying a word, every soldier in there at that moment understood that America was behind them, that all levels of leadership in America supported them, that the president was committed to the mission, and, more importantly, that there would be no wavering in this mission, that we ware not going to walk away from here. Without having said a board, that message reverberated in that room, in that mess tent. And then it very rapidly spread across the command after he departed. In terms of the difficulty in searching for Saddam and whether that is an acceptance of failure, I think it's a statement of reality. In fact it is difficult to find him, given that I haven't found him, killed him or captured him; and I need the Iraqi people's help. And together, we'll find him, we'll capture him or we'll kill him so that we can positively eliminate that possibility for the future and get the country of Iraq on a unquestionable path without any reservations in the mind of every Iraqi that we're going to achieve democracy here in this country. Q (Name inaudible) -- Video Cairo. (In Arabic.) GEN. SANCHEZ: Well, I think -- first of all, that's not correct. Members of the Governing Council were, in fact, there. And I was watching them, and it was very clear in my mind that it was also a very clear statement to those Governing Council members that were sitting in that room that that message applied to them as well as it applied to my soldiers. And then in the speech, and I'm sure you've read the speech or at least heard it, it was also an unmistakable message to the Iraqi people that we are committed to them. And the message of his presence here in the country alone, I think, is unmistakable. And the Iraqi people need to embrace that and accept that we're here until it's time for them to stand on their own, to have their democratic and stable country. And in that point in time, when it's right, we will depart. We're committed to that. We're committed to the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people, and we're not going to desert them. Q Thank you, General. My name is Tanaka (sp), NHK, Japanese TV. We got report from Holland , The Hague , Dutch troops are deploying in Samarra , southern Iraq . They are going to bring Special Forces -- near future. That shows the area security is not -- there is security problem there. So do you recommend countries, those who are planning to send forces, troops, in Iraq -- do you recommend to bring a combat unit, like Special Forces? Thank you. GEN. SANCHEZ: Sir, what I would recommend for any member of the coalition is to contribute within the capabilities and the willingness of their governing and military structures. And whatever capacities can be deployed and whatever strengths, they are welcome, and we can employ those capacities across the country. And we welcome any country to provide that support, and we'll work closely with them in our mil-to-mil discussions to identify what the structure and composition of those forces ought to be. Q Phil Reeves of The Independent newspaper, London . You say that you would like the help of the Iraqi people in your search for Saddam Hussein. Do you think it serves your interests to allow the Iraqi government -- the Iraqi Governing Council to effectively ban from broadcasting an Arabic TV station? As you know, I'm sure, this was perceived by Iraqis on the street as contradicting your stated aims of creating democracy and freedom. GEN. SANCHEZ: And the question is -- ? Q That's the question. Do you think that it serves your interest? GEN. SANCHEZ: Oh. Well, I think what it serves is the rule of law in the country. That's what it serves. Clearly, there has been an unmistakable order that is out there against the incitement of violence. That specific example that you're citing violated it, and therefore it was an application, with all of the protections, in that case, that led to that organization being banned from conducting operations here in the country. And I might add that there was definitely due process that had been working with those organizations from some time before. So this is not about unilateral self-interest. This is about ensuring that we set the standards that are legally supportable and then enforcing those standards. Q General, General -- GEN. SANCHEZ: Yeah, okay. I'll turn over here. Sorry. I've been kind of leaning to the left here. Q Steve Kirby from AFP. In recent weeks there have been a number of examples in both north central Iraq and in western Iraq of house demolitions. Some were family homes where families have had to be removed from them before the homes are destroyed. Of course I understand that they're cases where you say that they've been used for IED-making, but they are nonetheless family homes where other family members were not necessarily themselves involved. Quite apart from the reservations of human rights groups about such collective punishment, don't you think that's an unsuitable tactic to be used in a part of the world where the parallel with Israel is bound to be made? GEN. SANCHEZ: Well, I guess what we need to do is go back to the laws of war and the Geneva Convention and all of those issues that define when a structure ceases to be what it is claimed to be and becomes a military target. We've got to remember that we're in a low- intensity conflict where the laws of war still apply. And I guarantee you that in every single case where we have destroyed a structure, it has been because it transitioned from its original intended purpose to a military target, plain and simple. And oh, by the way, to get at the issue of ensuring that we are not alienating the people, that we're treating the people -- that we're minimizing the impact on the Iraqi people, that is why we've gone to the extent that we have in ensuring that we're taking care of the noncombatants. So I see absolutely no disconnect between our requirements to accomplish our military mission and the requirement to take care of the Iraqi people and eliminate those structures that have been used in attacks against the coalition and the Iraqi people. Q General -- GEN. SANCHEZ: In the back. Q About the Israeli parallel? The Israeli parallel? GEN. SANCHEZ: In the back, please. Q (Inaudible) -- Romanian radio. Ambassador Bremer last week said that probably the troops will stay here after June 2004. So can you tell me how do you think this estimate of this extended stay will affect the morale of the troops? And on the shorter term, what are you doing to keep the morale high during the coming winter holidays? GEN. SANCHEZ: Okay. First of all, in terms of do the troops see June as an end point for the mission, clearly not. There has never been an expectation that all the military forces in the country would redeploy out of Iraq at that point in time. The eventual security agreements that will be the over-arching structure for continued security force, coalition force deployment here in the country will be evolved as we move toward sovereignty on the 30th of June. And we will work those security agreements with the Iraqi people and we'll remain here at the invitation of the Iraqi people. The sizes will be determined as we move towards those security arrangements, and those will be announced after they're concluded. In terms of what are the things that we're doing to increase the morale or sustain the morale of the forces, I think just the fact that there is success in the mission, that we're taking care of their quality-of-life needs, we're focused on taking care of their personal and religious needs. As you know, there's a very sacred period coming up for us and all of the world. I think we're doing the right things to take care of those soldiers. And oh, by the way, they know that as 1 January of '04 comes around, we go into a major force rotation that tells them that they are close to going home. They will remain focused. There's no question that they're dedicated. There's no question that they know what has to be done. And they are focused on accomplishing their mission. GEN. SANCHEZ: Okay. I'm not quite sure what you're referring to in terms of State Department and exporting of U.S. weapons to Iraq . I'm not aware at this point that there is any agreement that has been reached to export U.S. weapons into the country. That may be in the discussion stages, but I'm not (read on ?) and I don't know about that. I'll tell you that as we move towards the objective end state of the Iraqi security forces and the military, there are still decisions that have to be made on how that force is going to be structured, equipped, and the final missions that that force will have, in terms of the military structures and how they're going to be organized. So I think it's very premature at this point to say that decisions have been made on equipping and eventual force structures. Q By Arab (sic), please. (In Arabic.) Q In Arabic. GEN. SANCHEZ: Sir, I can give you the numbers of non-Arab detainees. We've got those numbers. I don't have them in front of me right now, but we can get them to you immediately after the press conference. But I will tell you that in terms of nationalities, we can also provide that to you. But as I've stated before, we've had Yemenis, we've had Sudanese, we've had Egyptians, we've had Syrians, and there's a list -- a whole list of other nationalities that we have captured, and we're -- we have in our detention centers. In terms of the numbers of detainees, yes, we have in excess of 5,000 total detainees across the country. And those investigations are ongoing, and in fact trials are being conducted. And if you say -- you've asked me about releases. There is a process that is in place that over the last 30 days has released well in excess of 800 detainees over that period. So there is a process in place, there's a process that is working, and there is a process that shows who is in there. Now do we have difficulties in finding the detainees sometimes? Yes, that still remains because of the challenges in terms of the spellings and in terms of some of the criminal databases and the fact that they're spread out across the entire country. And we continue to work very hard to address that problem. Sir? Q Yeah. Hi. Sudarsan Raghavan, Knight Ridder Newspapers. Can you assess the progress or lack of progress of de-Ba'athification in Iraq ? In particular, is there a danger for you and your generals of having too many high-level Ba'athists purged from their positions too fast? I mean, is there a concern that they have or -- could join or back those who are carrying out attacks against your soldiers? GEN. SANCHEZ: Well, I think that the effectiveness of de- Ba'athification is driven based on the perspective of the individual that is assessing. If you ask some of our Iraqi counterparts, they'll tell you that we haven't been tough enough. If you ask some of the Sunnis, they'll say that we've been too tough. And everyone has a perspective on the effectiveness and the level of de-Ba'athification that has to be done. If you ask the education minister and the education environment of the country, they say that we've been and the Iraqis have been too tough in eliminating some Iraqis that had to be members of the Ba'ath Party just to survive and to execute their professional livelihood. So it's a mixed bag of where you are and it's a matter of the perspective that you bring to the table. I think it is very clear that reconciliation has to be embarked on. The Iraqi people must tackle the issue of reconciliation to re- embrace all elements of the society and get them integrated into all of the structures that we're in search of here. Is there a danger for us? It's accounted for. You know, we are very conscious of those possibilities, and that's why I think across the board we believe that reconciliation is essential and we've got to give hope to all elements of the society to be able to get involved in the future of Iraq. Okay. Ma'am, you've been asking for a while. Q Two questions. (In Arabic.) GEN. SANCHEZ: The first one is more of a statement. And yes, ma'am, you're exactly right that there is that smuggling. And we are working, as you know, as you stated, the coalition forces -- and I appreciate the comment -- that the coalition forces are doing a good job. But we do need increased capacity down there in terms of getting the Civil Defense Corps, the police forces stood up and engaged in the smuggling problem and then getting all the ministries also to cooperate with us down there in order for us to strengthen those initiatives. And we're working very hard to do that because we know very clearly what the impacts are on the people of Iraq when you have the smuggling of, as you stated, sheep, and then, of course, petrol also. I believe you know very clearly what initiatives we've embarked on to stem the flow, the smuggling of petrol. And we're doing it on land and we're doing it out at sea, especially down there in the south. And we'll continue those efforts over time. And you are my nemesis on the 14th of July bridge! (Laughs.) Yes, ma'am, it was great to open the 14th of July bridge. And then it was -- you know, it was necessary for us to close it again. And we will continue to reassess the environment over time to see when the conditions are right for us to reopen it. Okay? And we'll keep you posted on that. How's that? We know the impacts. Q Hi, General. You mentioned there was going to be a big changeover of troops; some troops would be flowing out and others would be flowing in. I was wondering if you were going to make some adjustments in the force structure when that happens? I had talked to some folks in the military here who said that there was too much of a Cold War style, heavy armored capability here and not enough intelligence, human intelligence, intelligence analysts and analysis; too few up-armored humvees, for instance, or Striker-type mobility vehicles, and maybe too many Bradleys and tanks. Also, that there was -- what they said would be useful to them was more money to spend locally on local projects. They seemed to think that that went a long way in getting -- you know, winning people over to their side. I was wondering if any of those types of changes in the force structure are in the works? GEN. SANCHEZ: Absolutely. We are, in fact, going to change the composition of the forces to give us additional mobility. As you know, we're working very hard to deploy the up-armored humvees in the right quantities across the CJTF. We will have the right mix of heavy and light -- or correction -- motorized capability and up-armored humvees across the whole country. We'll have -- the intelligence capacities have been increasing all along in terms of analytical capability, in terms of fusion and other required improvements in order to target the enemy that we're facing. I feel very comfortable with the progress that we've made. There's still more work to do. We're not at the ideal level, but we continue to work that to improve it and get it right. There is tremendous synchronization ongoing now in those intel structures. And as I described earlier, the mixes of the force overall will get adjusted to accommodate exactly what you're talking about. What we're in search of is a very mobile, very flexible, yet lethal force that can accomplish its mission here in the country. And that mission and those capabilities are defined by the enemy that we see. And we've done that analysis, and I believe that that force is properly structured to accomplish that over time. In terms of the dollars to spend on local projects, there has been a little bit of a lull. And what -- we are in the process of doing right now with the supplemental that will allow us to reenergize that tremendously successful program, and we'll have a couple of funding sources coming from the supplemental dollars, and also from the ambassador through his capacities out in the regions. We will have a two-pronged approach with CPA and also the military commanders, both focused on accomplishing those high-impact, quick-turnaround projects that make such a big difference to the people of Iraq . And we'll be reenergizing that program very, very shortly. GEN. SANCHEZ: You know, I don't know right off the top of my head, but I can go ahead and find out for you whether we still have any Palestinians and this specific individual. We'll go ahead and link you up with the right officer here, my public affairs officer, and get that answer to you. I just don't know off the top of my head. GEN. SANCHEZ: Sir, I believe your question is whether the introduction or reintroduction of the Marines is an indication that security is improving. I think it's just -- there's no signal being given here, other than the fact that I've got to rotate my forces. We're bringing in the right forces that will allow us to have the combat capability that I believe is necessary to accomplish our mission over time. It is a force that is restructured, as I just stated a few moments ago; that will give us additional flexibility, it'll give us mobility across the country and yet sustain the combat power at the right levels to accomplish the mission that's at hand. There is no way that we're going to put this mission at risk in terms of combat power. And I will sustain that. And where necessary, I adjust those force structures to accomplish that mission, and we're continuously doing that and adapting as we execute the mission. Q Hi. Could you just give us a comment yesterday on the arrests in Italy of some al Qaeda suspects? Some were, I believe, connected to the Al-Rashid Hotel attacks and the RPGs and all that. GEN. SANCHEZ: No. I'm not exactly sure what incident you're describing. But in general terms, we do pick up some anti-coalition elements that are suspected of being al Qaeda, and we've done that over time. Yet, at this point, we still have not conclusively established an al Qaeda operative here in the country. We firmly believe that there are links, both financial and training and ideological links that are present, but we still haven't made that final connection. Q This was in Italy -- GEN. SANCHEZ: Oh, in Italy . I'm sorry. I misunderstood your question. Q Sorry, I talk fast. Any comments on those arrests? GEN. SANCHEZ: No, other than from a global war on terrorism perspective, I mean, this is a great success for the global war on terrorism. And it just indicates that there is tremendous cooperation with our coalition partners, and it's an indication that we're continuing to work together to accomplish this international mission and requirement. Yes, sir? In the back. We'll go back to you. Q Thanks. General, do you think that titles like Operation Iron Hammer and the images that generate from it are unhelpful in your quest to get the Iraqi people, those that aren't on your side, on your side? And is there any other way, or is that simply the only way that you can complete the particular missions that you need to complete? GEN. SANCHEZ: No, I don't -- I mean, I'm kind of agnostic about it. I think -- well, no, no, I'm not agnostic about it. I think it's a great way to portray those operations. It shows that we're committed. It shows that we are, in fact, taking the offensive against the enemy, and at the same time, that we are taking care of the Iraqi people here. I think the message has to be very, very clear to our enemy that we're going to bring to bear every element of combat power that we possess to defeat them. And, you know, I've stated this before, that we will do this wherever it's required to show that we're not backing away from the enemy. And as I stated in my opening comments, that's what we're focused on. We're going to sustain the offensive nature of our operations. And, you know, that has to be done in order to defeat this enemy that is attacking the Iraqi people and the coalition. Q But -- sorry. If I can just follow up. Inevitably, the images emerge of women and children who were with the men that you're arresting, and the women and children look terrified. That, from an Iraqi perspective, cannot help you. GEN. SANCHEZ: And that's why we -- why I've stated over and over again that every operation that we conduct we follow up with civil military operations, to go back in there and take care of the people and make sure that in fact the Iraqi people understand that we're being precise in our targeting and that we're not causing widespread damages across the country. That's not tied to names of operations; that is just something that in this low-intensity conflict environment, we've got to be conscious of every given day. And that's why it's important for us to have Iraqi security forces that are operating with us that can help us in communicating to the Iraqi people. And we'll continue to conduct those operations and make them as unintrusive as possible, but yet never wavering from our requirement to defeat the anti-coalition forces. Q Mike Dorning, Chicago Tribune. You mentioned a minute ago that you haven't detained anyone or picked up anyone who you believe conclusively is an al Qaeda operative. You mentioned just after that that you nonetheless believe that they may have some level of activity here. If you haven't picked up anyone who you conclusively believe is an al Qaeda operative, what's your basis for believing that there are operations going here? And given that you haven't picked anyone up who's conclusively an operative, how serious do you think, and significant, do you think their operations are here? GEN. SANCHEZ: First of all, you know, there could have been some operatives that blew themselves up. I mean, you look at the Italian strike that occurred here a couple weeks ago and you compare that, just in the open press, with what happened down in Saudi Arabia , and it's fairly similar. So when you look at the transfer of tactics and techniques, there are some indicators there that maybe they're at least learning from each other. I mean, that's what we focus on and that's what we try to establish over time. I'll reiterate that we have not, in fact, established that positively, and we remain focused don it. And at the right point in time, if we establish it conclusively, then we'll get back to you on it. Yes, sir? You look like you're about to raise your hand. Go ahead. Q Yeah, just kind of following up on that. Do you feel there's any link between the suicide bombers, who may be militants, some of them from other countries, and -- or what is the link between the suicide bombers and the former regime loyalists, who you see as your biggest threat? Are they working in tandem? Are there different operational cells? Have you kind of doped that out? GEN. SANCHEZ: No, I think what we have is, former regime loyalists, as you stated, continue to be our number one threat here in the country against the people of Iraq. But I believe that there is a linkage down at the tactical level, at the execution level, where in fact some support is being provided by the fundamentalist, the foreign fighter. And those suicide bombers, as we have clearly established by the ones that we injured and captured, were foreigners. And therefore, we believe that there is a link that has occurred down at that level, at the individual level. We don't believe that there are other significant connections beyond that at this point. Q How many of these fighters have you determined are foreigners at this point, or these suicide bombers? GEN. SANCHEZ: Sir, in terms of the suicide bombers, I couldn't give you an exact number because, obviously, by the fact that they were suicide bombers, and given the magnitude, we couldn't establish their nationalities. But we have caught, in the strike against the police station here, the one that was defeated was -- and injured and we captured was, in fact, a foreigner. So we know unmistakably that there are those links. Okay. But clearly, our threat is still as described. The key threat is the mid-level Ba'athists and the former regime loyalists that continue to attack the people of Iraq . Okay, are we out of questions? Great. GEN. SANCHEZ: Uh-oh. Okay, one more question. GEN. SANCHEZ: On the New Iraqi Army, the first battalion, I think as everybody knows, is in the process of being deployed right now. They graduated in the October time frame, were put on leave over the Ramadan period, and now they're coming back on line to begin to conduct their operations with the 4th Infantry Division. The next battalion that we will see will be in the late January/February time frame. And its mission set will be determined as we work its locations, where we're going to deploy it, and we will tell you when that occurs. Okay? All right. Can we get one more? One more, sir. GEN. SANCHEZ: Okay. I think you made a statement, and what I'll do is I'll counter the statement. How's that? It wasn't a question. The security dossier has not been given to the police, in that we don't allow them big latitude. I think when you look at some of the activities that have in fact taken place, both Iraqi police unilateral actions, Iraqi police joint operations with the coalition, in multiple locations across this country, there is tremendous success and tremendous responsibility that has been shifted over. We are working very hard to move towards a local control posture for our security forces, our coalition forces. And what that depends on is on us building the capacity of the Iraqi police to a level where they can conduct independent operations in cities, where we then pull off -- they'll do it in coordination with the Civil Defense Corps, and then we will be there to support them and provide quick reaction forces and any augmentation or support that they need. So this will be -- we're working this pretty hard, and they are in fact conducting effective operations out in the environment. Okay. Thank you all very much. Appreciate it. And for all of you that supported my forces in the last two months and were able to show the great reaction of the coalition forces out with the president, thank you so much. And God bless America .