Iraq and US begin discussing future military relationship

[hayder]

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Jim Garamone
BAGHDAD - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today that now is the time for the United States and Iraq to plan for a normal, long-term military-to-military relationship.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met with Maliki at the prime minister's residence in downtown Baghdad.

During the 20-minute meeting, the chairman told reporters traveling with him, he stressed that the two nations need to build on the strategic framework agreement signed in 2008.

The prime minister agreed that the ongoing relationship between the two nations has to be discussed long before the last American troops leave Iraq on Dec. 31, 2011.

The chairman would not speculate on what form the relationship might take. "There will be an embassy here, there will be an Office of Defense Cooperation, and we'll support that," Mullen said.

No substantive discussions have taken place about what a relationship would look like because Iraqi politicians have been haggling since the country's March 6 elections to form the new government. Maliki now is in the midst of forming the government and has promised that it will include all groups in the country. Mullen said he fully expects the Iraqis to have the new government in place by the Dec. 25 constitutional deadline.

The chairman discounted news reports about a residual U.S. force remaining in Iraq after 2011. He said that although he always is concerned about the influence that neighboring Iran has inside Iraq, he doesn't believe the Iranians have been effective in swaying their neighbor.

"Iran is still trying to exert itself, [but] I haven't seen it become terribly effective through this government formation," he said. "There were predictions that [the Iranians] would dramatically influence the government's outcome. That didn't happen. My own view is I think they overplayed their hand."

Iran and Iraq fought a bitter war from 1980 to 1988. The chairman said he has security concerns about Iranian influence in Iraq, but also has security concerns. However, the development of the Iraqi security forces has allayed some of those concerns, he said.

"Overall, I'm encouraged by what I hear, by what our people tell us, what leaders tell us, what our troops tell us about the Iraqi security forces," Mullen said. "They are pretty good, and they are better than a lot of people predicted."

The Iraqi forces are able to provide the internal security the country needs, Mullen said. "One of the longer-term questions is how do they handle the external security, and that question is out there to be answered," he added.

About 48,000 American service members are in Iraq. Many are working with Iraqi counterparts to build the security forces, including building an army, the police, border guards, a coast guard and an air force. At the same time the security forces are training, they are running real world missions.

Millions of people are expected to come to Iraq next month for a religious pilgrimage. Iraqi forces must protect the pilgrims, but also must find the time to train, Mullen noted.

"How do we literally get them off watch so they can train and get better?" he asked. "There's tremendous emphasis now to get them the kind of training they need to sustain themselves."

Mullen said that logistics and maintenance are among the capabilities that the Iraqis need to work on most. "It's critical and is a great area of focus," he said. "They need to get to a certain level to sustain what they have."

The chairman arrived in Baghdad today with a USO troupe featuring Robin Williams, Lewis Black, Kix Brooks, Lance Armstrong, Kathleen Madigan and Bob Dipiero. While the USO performers went to visit troops, the chairman went for his meetings with civilian and military leaders. Weather grounded all helicopter movements, so he went downtown and back via ground transportation. The route he took – called Route Irish when the Americans first arrived –once was considered too dangerous to travel.

The chairman later spoke to the men and women of U.S. Division Center at Camp Liberty. The division headquarters is built around the 1st Armored Division, and the soldiers are soon turning over responsibility to the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division.

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/61901/mull ... lationship

[hayder]

from wall street journal. what the hell??? he's seriously pondering leaving iraq without ANY air defence after 2011???



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... lenews_wsj

WSJ: Has the delay in government formation impacted your readiness for the full withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of 2011?

Mr. Maliki: Believe me this delay in government [formation] has not affected the security situation, buildup of forces, training and security plans one hair. From day one when the delay crisis started, I predicted the delay because it was not the first time, in the previous [government] formation period there was delay. Straight away I went to the security forces – police and army – and told them leave politics to the politicians and focus on security matters.

WSJ: You spoke in the past about deficiencies [of Iraqi forces] in airspace protection, intelligence gathering, logistics, border protection and equipment among others.

Mr. Maliki: It is very important to explain that we are talking about two levels of security work. At one level we talk about the internal security; that is terror, disturbances and militias, and these are no longer a problem for us. Now, not a single militia or gang can confront Iraqi forces and take over a street or a house. That is finished; we are comfortable about that.

What we have in terms of equipment and training and capabilities is enough and we do not need anyone to help Iraq. What I am talking about are some of the shortages, and this is normal for a country whose armed forces were destroyed completely, no fighter jets, no artillery, no tanks. I mean national security and security from the outside this needs more equipment.

WSJ: So does this [sovereignty protection] require the presence of American forces?

Mr. Maliki: No, it does not require the presence of American forces because we do not have a problem with other countries. There is no occupation or interference in each other's affairs between us and other countries.

WSJ: Some American officials have spoken about contingency plans being drawn now in Washington for the possibility that some American troops will stay after 2011. Do you know about these contingency plans, and do you need troops?

Mr. Maliki: I do not care about what's being said. I care about what's on paper and what has been agreed to. The withdrawal of forces agreement [Status of Forces Agreement or SOFA] expires on Dec. 31, 2011. The last American soldier will leave Iraq.

Secondly this agreement is sealed and at the time we designated it as sealed and not subject to extension, except if the new government with Parliament's approval wanted to reach a new agreement with America, or another country, that's another matter. This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration, it is sealed, it expires on Dec. 31 [2011].

WSJ: The American Ambassador James Jeffrey walks around with a leather brief case, I am sure you have seen it. In it he carries a copy of the Strategic Framework Agreement [between Iraq and the United States].

Mr. Maliki: [laughter] ….this is good work, an evidence of commitment.

We have actually asked for this. We signed the agreement that we called the strategic framework agreement. It is scientific, commercial, economic, expertise, and training.

WSJ: How about security cooperation?

Mr. Maliki: Maybe, if the country needed security cooperation, too. This strategic framework agreement has a high committee that conferred several times, and now we're insisting that it be activated because it's in Iraq's interest.

America is a superpower with expertise and huge capabilities in science, trade and economy and the country needs such expertise.

This is our demand to activate this agreement and consider the American position committed and good.