Iraq Force Level Assessment Is Likely, Di Rita Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - The senior U.S. military commander in Iraq will likely conduct a force-level assessment sometime after the Dec. 15 elections, a senior defense department official said here today.

However, chief DoD spokesman Lawrence Di Rita cautioned Pentagon reporters that Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq, may not provide a recommendation for Iraq force-level changes along with his assessment.

"I would expect fully that he'll come back and give an assessment of where he thinks he is," Di Rita said. "I don't know - I simply don't - whether that will include his recommendation on the way ahead."

There is no timeline emanating from the Pentagon, Di Rita emphasized, to influence Casey to make any recommendations.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's plan to reduce U.S. forces in Iraq to about 138,000 troops from around 160,000 now in country, Di Rita said, is slated to begin sometime after the Iraqi election.

Any potential recommendation by Casey that would affect U.S. force levels in Iraq, Di Rita said, would start from that 138,000 baseline.

U.S. force levels in Iraq are based on commanders' needs drawn from their interpretation of the situation on the ground, Di Rita said.

President Bush and the defense secretary have final say on any recommended force-level changes provided by military commanders, Di Rita said.

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
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America Supports You: Group Brightens Season in Baghdad

By Jim Garamone and Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 12, 2005 - The package of high-end tea arrived in this dusty, hot city earlier this month with postcards and greetings from people all over the United States.

When Army Sgt. 1st Class Elaine Prosa opened the box, the smell of tea and spices infused the room. The postcards and tea came from an organization called "Soldiers' Angels." The motto of the group is "May No Soldier Go Unloved."

Over the past two years, countless servicemembers throughout Iraq and Afghanistan and in military hospitals in the United States and Germany have opened such packages from their own "angels," explained Sara Ehrlich, a volunteer angel in New Jersey. Ehrlich sent the package Prosa received and hundreds more like it -- sometimes up to 15 packages a day, she said. "And when I can't send packages, I can always write letters," she added.

Soldiers' Angels is a nonprofit volunteer group founded by Patti Patton-Bader, whose son, Army Sgt. Brandon Varn, recently returned from Iraq. The group has provided angel packages to deployed servicemembers and to military hospitals and has also helped the families of many deployed servicemembers.

Prosa, an intelligence specialist, explained that she came across a sign-up sheet from the group as she processed for deployment through Fort Bliss, Texas. "When I got here, I sent them the address and the fact that I have 22 people with me."

She received a short note from Ehrlich that "had this cute little stress-reliever rock with an angel on it," Prosa said. Since then, the sergeant and her co-workers have had Ehrlich as their angel in the states. Ehrlich sends Angel packages to Prosa, who then distributes the contents to her fellow servicemembers. Ehrlich said she is impressed that Prosa is dealing with her own stress on deployment, yet still always thinks of other troops, such as those in the motor pool and on guard duty at the embassy.

Ehrlich said she hates to admit it, but she only became involved in troop-support issues when her son joined the Army. "They were off my radar before that," she told American Forces Press Service.

She said she's particularly impressed with people who support military causes even when they have no personal ties to servicemembers. "Many members (of Soldiers' Angels) do not have a direct military tie," she said. "Yet they spend hours and hours and dollars and dollars on packages."

One of Erlich's Angel packages to Prosa contained Christmas decorations. "We will break those out in a bit," Prosa said. "We need to get through the (Dec. 15) elections first."

The group also sends postcards; one Prosa received featured a painting of a 48-star American flag by American impressionist Jasper Johns. On the other side are written greetings, often with an address. Many soldiers write back thanking the folks for their support. "It means a lot," Prosa said. "It shows us we're not forgotten."

It means just as much for the volunteer angels to get the feedback, Ehrlich said. "The angels get so excited when they get a letter back," she said. "They congratulate each other."

She explained that the letter-writing campaign grew out of the care-package project. Many people can't afford or are otherwise unable to send care packages to troops, but they can write letters. Volunteer angels have sent up to 10,000 letters in one month. Letter writers sign up for a certain amount of names per week to start correspondence with. They're only committed to that first letter, unless the servicemember writes back. In that case the group expects the volunteer to maintain some correspondence.

Ehrlich said this system works because volunteers can settle on their own level of involvement. "People can participate at the level that's good for them," she said.

Ideas for supporting servicemembers continue to broaden for the Soldiers' Angels group. Recently the group has begun a program to solicit volunteers to knit or make fleece mittens for wounded servicemembers to wear while being transported from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Germany, to the United States. Other volunteers put together backpacks with basic hygiene supplies and clothing items for troops who show up at the hospital with nothing.

"It's a challenge," Ehrlich said, "because everybody wants to address every need, and there's a lot of needs."

Ehrlich's son, Army Sgt. Dan Ehrlich, is assigned to the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion, at Fort Bragg, N.C. She said she got through his recent six-month stint in Iraq by counting her blessings.

"As hard as it was to know that he was over there, he was so much better off than a lot of the soldiers and Marines that I support," Ehrlich said. "He wasn't 'outside the wire.' I came away from that feeling that much more determined to make sure that the guys in worse situations know that we care."

She related an amusing anecdote from when Dan was deployed. Ehrlich was "chatting" with him online one day when she mentioned she received an engraved glass plaque as a show of appreciation from the 1st Corps Support Command. Dan retorted: "You're going to have more commendations from this tour than I am."

Ehrlich said she wants all Americans to understand there are many ways they can help support the troops. Some members of her community drop off magazines and books after they've been read. Others pack boxes or contribute snack items.

"There's a way for everyone to support our deployed men and women. There's no end to the ways," she said. "If everybody found just one way that worked for them to provide support, it would be a wonderful thing. They're over there and they're in harm's way, and I think most of all they just want to be remembered.

"We need to let them know they'll never be forgotten," Ehrlich said. "That's the most important thing we can send."

(AFPS writer Jim Garamone reported from Baghdad; colleague Kathleen T. Rhem reported from Washington.)

Related Sites:

Soldiers' Angels [http://www.soldiersangels.org]

America Supports You [http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3628.html.

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School Renovations Seek Bright Future for Iraq

By Claude D. McKinney
Special to American Forces Press Service

MOSUL, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2005 - Whether the key to a bright future for a country is to educate the children of the present will be tested in northern Iraq over the next generation, based on the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region North.

The 324 schools renovated in Iraq's seven northern provinces under the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund will benefit 42,000 students. All but nine of the schools are completed, and only one of those will not be finished by the end of January, officials said.

Officials also noted that under the Commanders Emergency Response Program, 450 classrooms have been added to an additional 84 schools, benefiting more than 16,000 students.

"More than 58,000 children have been affected," said Pradip Patel, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program manager. "Students will be able to study in clean, painted classrooms, use new toilet facilities and new water fountains, and play in newly constructed playgrounds surrounded by perimeter walls. These renovated facilities will definitely motivate students and teachers to focus on classroom activities."

Renovations included adding new rooms to many of the existing buildings. A number of schools had security perimeter walls built around them. In all cases, the buildings were inspected and, where needed, roofs were repaired.

Other upgrades included electrical service, both wiring and lighting and, in some cases, generators to guarantee a stable power supply. Bathroom renovations included tile on the walls and floors, new fixtures, and both water supply and discharge. Each school received a fresh coat of paint inside and out. Many schools had playgrounds prepared.

"The children are happy; they really appreciate it," Patel said. "These renovated schools will help the students to get educated in conducive environments to become good citizens and in the future lead the country down a path of peace and prosperity for their future."

Six new schools are being built from the ground up. Each will have 12 classrooms to service 720 students. Several are in communities that had not had a school expansion for many decades, officials said.

Much of this tremendous success, officials said, is due to the cooperation and coordination between Mosul school administrators and contractors, and the ability to work within the reimbursement system to pay for work done.

In early July, $3 million was made available to renovate schools through the Commanders Emergency Relief Program. By the end of July, all those funds were obligated. Within the month, Mosul school administrators finalized design documents, generated scope of work requirements, compiled lists of building materials and found contractors capable of doing the work. Then, working closely with Patel, officials awarded all the contracts.

Because Iraq's economy is still a cash-based system, electronic funds transfer was not possible. So arrangements were made for the contractor to go to the Maneuver Command's finance office to receive payment in cash.

Patel said this was all possible because of the "professional way the school administrators took to their tasks."

(Claude McKinney is the public affairs officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region North.)

Related Site:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division [http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/index.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3627.html.

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Iraqi Elections Represent Milestone in Victory Strategy

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - Iraq's parliamentary elections later this week represent another major step forward that supports Iraq's long-term stability and the U.S. strategy for victory there, President Bush said today at the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia.

Bush called the elections a major milestone in fulfilling the three-part strategy for victory that addresses security, economic and political efforts. The president released details of the national strategy Nov. 30 and has delivered several major speeches during the past two weeks focusing on its specific aspects.

Today, three days before Iraq's national elections, Bush focused on Iraq's political progress and U.S. efforts to help the Iraqis build inclusive democratic institutions that protect all Iraqi's interests.

"By helping Iraqis build a democracy, we win over those who doubted they had a place in a new Iraq and undermine the terrorists and Saddamists," the president said. It also helps the United States gain an ally in the war on terror and sets an example that will inspire reformers across the Middle East, he said.

Helping the Iraqis build their democracy also brings help to a troubled region of the world, Bush said, noting that it "will make the American people more secure."

Iraq's form of democracy won't necessarily take the same form as America's, Bush acknowledged, but will share its basic foundations. These include rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, a free economy and freedom to worship - none of which existed under former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime, the president said.

In just over two and a half years, the Iraqis have already met several major milestones toward their democratic future, he noted. They gained sovereignty in June 2004, voted for their new leaders last January, and drafted a constitution and adopted it during a national referendum last October.

Now Iraqis will return to the polls again Dec. 15 to elect a parliamentary government, which Bush said will be "a remarkable event in the Arab world."

In pressing forward with their milestones, the Iraqis are promoting freedom and democracy and defying terrorists, Bush said. "Iraqis are defeating a brutal enemy, rejecting a murderous ideology and choosing freedom over terror," he said.

The elections won't run perfectly and a successful vote won't be an end in itself, but rather just another step in an ongoing process, Bush said. "Iraqis still have more difficult work ahead, and our coalition and the new Iraqi government will face many challenges," he said.

These include ensuring Iraqi security, forming an inclusive Iraqi government, encouraging Iraqi reconciliation and maintaining Iraqi democracy in a tough neighborhood, with negative influences from both Iran and Syria.

Bush promised ongoing U.S. support in these "complex and difficult" endeavors. "Iraqis are determined to overcome them and build a free nation, and they require our support," the president said.

"Millions of Iraqis will put their lives on the line this Thursday in the name of liberty and democracy, and 160,000 of America's finest are putting their lives on the line so Iraqis can succeed," he said.

"The American and Iraqi people share the same interest and the same enemies," Bush said. "And by helping democracy succeed in Iraq, we bring greater security to our citizens here at home."

Related Site:

National Strategy for Victory in Iraq [http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html]

Related Article:

Bush Compares U.S., Iraqi Roads to Democracy [http://www.dod.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3623.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3626.html.

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Bush Compares U.S., Iraqi Roads to Democracy

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - President Bush traveled today to Philadelphia, the birthplace of U.S. democracy, to remind Americans about their own country's bumpy road to democracy and to underscore what he called "miraculous" political progress taking place in Iraq.

Three days before Iraqis go to the polls to elect a 275-member parliament, Bush contrasted America's efforts to put a new democratic government in place with those being instituted at a relative lightning speed in Iraq.

America's founders endured naysayers and critics, repeatedly adjusting their approach as they worked toward a constitution that guaranteed personal freedoms, the president noted during his address to the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.

"The eight years from the end of the Revolutionary War to the election of a constitutional government were a time of disorder and upheaval," Bush said. He pointed to a planned military coup that George Washington personally intervened to defuse, to tensions between the mercantile north and agricultural south, and to opposition from British loyalists who were opposed to independence.

The Articles of Confederation failed, and years of debate and compromise followed before the United States ratified its constitution and inaugurated its first president. Even then, a bloody civil war and century of struggle that followed took place before the constitution's promise was finally extended to all Americans, Bush said.

"Our founders faced many challenges. They made mistakes, they learned from their experiences and they adjusted their approach," the president said.

It's important to keep this history in mind when evaluating political progress under way in Iraq, the president said. "No nation in history has made the transition to a free society without facing challenges, setbacks and false starts," he said.

The Iraqis have gone from living under Saddam Hussein's tyranny to preparing to elect a permanent democratic government - all in just over two and a half years, Bush said.

"Since (Saddam's reign), the Iraqi people have assumed sovereignty over their country, held free elections, drafted a democratic constitution and approved that constitution in a nationwide referendum," he said. "Three days from now, they go to the polls for the third time this year and choose a new government under the new constitution."

Bush heralded the Iraqis' success in propelling the democratic process forward. He recalled the country's first election, last January, and jubilation in the streets as Iraqis held up ink-stained fingers as a testament to their participation in the historic vote.

Recognizing the importance that all sects be represented in the new government, Iraqis banded together to promote Sunni participation and support, the president noted.
They worked together to draft a constitution that protected the rights and interests of all Iraqis, and some 10 million voted to adopt that constitution during the Oct. 15 referendum, Bush said.

Two months later, the Iraqis are preparing to go to the polls for the third time this year, to choose a parliamentary government to represent them as their fledging democracy begins to grow, he said.

"It's a remarkable transformation for a country that had virtually no experience with democracy, and which is struggling to overcome the legacy of one of the worst tyrannies the world has known," Bush said. "And Iraqis achieved all this while determined enemies used violence and destruction to stop the progress."

Iraq's work won't be over following this week's elections, and the terrorist threat it faces won't immediately go away, the president acknowledged. More challenges lie ahead Iraqis continue the steps needed to build their new democracy, he said.

"There's still a lot of difficult work to be done in Iraq," Bush said. "But thanks to the courage of the Iraqi people, the year 2005 will be recorded as a turning point in the history of Iraq, the history of the Middle East and the history of freedom."

Related Site:

President Bush's Remarks [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051212-4.html]

_______________________________________________________
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the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3623.html.

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Small Defense Firms Provide Big Support for Warfighters

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - The Defense Department does much business with large companies, yet smaller firms also make big contributions that help U.S. warfighters accomplish their missions, a senior DoD official said here today.

In fact, small businesses accounted for about 23 percent of all contracts awarded by DoD in fiscal 2004, said Frank M. Ramos, director of the department's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. DoD awarded nearly $47 billion in contracts to small businesses in fiscal 2004 -- a record, Ramos said.

"I'm so impressed in the four years that I've been here of the value and the innovation that small businesses have brought to the forefront - just huge," Ramos said at the conclusion of the 2004 Small Business Awards ceremony honoring DoD's military and civilian acquisition specialists today in the Pentagon.

For example, Ramos said, small defense contractors have up-armored Humvees, provided ceramic plating for anti-ballistic vests and developed the hand-held language-translation device that's used by servicemembers serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the world.

Key speaker Kenneth J. Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, praised the awardees.

"You, the award winners, have set the standard for innovation, reasonable and intelligent risk-taking," Krieg said, "and that dogged persistence to achieve."

It's important that DoD seeks out ideas from small businesses, Krieg said, since they make up such a large portion of the U.S. economy. In fact, small businesses with fewer than 500 employees employ 52 percent of all American workers, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"Our small business partners can help us fill gaps in our skill sets," Krieg said, "and also bring a more entrepreneur spirit to the department."

Air Force civilian Elizabeth A. Bryant, a small business adviser at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., was recognized as under the Individual Achievement category - Small Business Specialist of the Year - for doubling her unit's small business contract awards since fiscal 2002.

"I think it's important to DoD to show that small business is capable beyond such a small, confining word as 'small,'" Bryant said. "They are extraordinary in so very many ways.

"This is not an award for me," Bryant said. "This is an award for all the strong, capable small businesses out there."

Other recipients of DoD's 2004 awards included:

Individual Achievement, Reinette Alecozay, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Small Business Contracting Professional of the Year;

Individual Achievement, U.S. Army Maneuver Ammunition Systems Team: Col. Mark Rider, Bill Sanville, Robert Crawford, Lt. Col. Matt Butler, Robert Kowalski, Mary Crosson, Maj. Bruce Floersheim, and Kimberly Ritacco, Small Business Program Manager of the Year;

Strategic Management System Awards, U.S. Army, Outstanding Small Disadvantaged Business Participation Program;

Strategic Management System Awards, Defense Threat Reduction Agency; Outstanding Small Disadvantaged Business Participation Program;

Strategic Management System Awards, U.S. Army, Outstanding Historically Underutilized Business Zone Program;

Strategic Management System Awards, Defense
Finance and Accounting Service, Outstanding HUBZone Program;

Strategic Management System Awards, Defense Logistics Agency, Outstanding Support of Women-Owned Small Businesses in DoD Acquisition;

Strategic Management System Awards, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Outstanding Support of Women-Owned Small Businesses in DoD Acquisition;

Strategic Management System Awards, U.S. Air Force, Overall Outstanding Small Business Program Award; and

Strategic Management System Awards, Defense Intelligence Agency, Overall Outstanding Small Business Program Award.

Biography:

Kenneth J. Krieg [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/krieg_bio.html]

Related Site:

DoD Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization [http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3625.html.

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Reconstruction Effort Changing Face of Iraq

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - Despite attacks, security concerns and an infrastructure that was degraded beyond expectation, the Iraq reconstruction effort has made tremendous progress, officials here said.

More than 90 percent of the $18 billion that Congress appropriated to rebuild Iraq has been committed to projects around the nation. This is in addition to money the Iraqi government has appropriated.

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has deferred $800 million worth of projects until the new government can have input.

The effort is showing tangible results, said Ambassador Dan Speckhard, chief of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office here.

Almost half of all electric power in Iraq is a result of American projects, he said. Almost 3 million Iraqis have clean water thanks to U.S. projects. More than 4.5 million Iraqis benefit from sewage disposal projects the United States has funded.

Last year, the ambassador said, Iraq had a gross domestic product growth of 4 percent, and the country is poised for "double-digit growth" this year. "That sort of growth indicates to me that things are having an effect," he said.

Reconstruction must be viewed in a larger context, Speckhard said. "It cannot be divorced from the economy, political progress or security," he said.

For example, 30,000 new businesses registered with the government in the past year. "And who knows how many unregistered business starts there were?" he said. "There is a huge 'gray market' that brings significant revenue."

The office has made more than 18,000 so-called "micro-loans" for Iraqis to start up businesses. No recipient has defaulted, the ambassador said.

Still, officials said, while the generating capacity for power plants in Iraq is much higher than under Saddam Hussein, demand has increased as well. Iraqis are buying televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens, cell phones and other power-consuming appliances and putting more demand on the electrical system. Even without terror attacks on the power grid, officials said, generating capacity would not keep pace with demand.

The same is true of water, sanitation and health projects: demand outstrips the capacity to bring the services online.

Iraq has the second-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia. It also has water - a commodity not in abundance in the Middle East. With its educated work force, Speckhard said, Iraq should be one of the richest countries in the world. But decades of neglect under Saddam severely hurt the country. "If you were one of the elites under Saddam, you did very well," Speckhard said.

The Baathist rulers of Iraq had good roads connecting their houses to main roads, they had 24-hour electricity provided by generators, their water was clean and they didn't have to step through rivers of sewage outside their homes, officials noted.

But the vast majority of people in Iraq - save those in the northern exclusion zone under Kurd control - did not have dependable electricity. "Most people in Iraq didn't have four hours of electricity a day under Saddam," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert Heine, the ambassador's director of operations.

The electricity sector has drawn the most attention. The U. S. devoted about $4 billion to more than 400 projects, according to Iraq Reconstruction Management Office statistics. These projects have added more than 2,700 megawatts of capacity to the system.

In the water and sanitation sector, the U. S. appropriated $2.4 billion to 312 projects completed, under way or planned. For many of the people, this is the first time they have received clean drinking water.

In most areas of Iraq, sewage ran down the streets. U.S. help has allowed roughly 5 million people so far to hook in to sewage lines.

Health and education projects have vaccinated 5 million children against a variety of diseases. The projects have renovated or built 700 schools. The office has provided funding to train 36,000 teachers and buy 7 million textbooks.

The fund has renovated 248 primary health centers and equipped 563. The office also is funding renovations for hospitals providing "tertiary care" - the highest level of care. Two of these renovations have been completed, and 18 continue. When finished, these projects will provide tertiary care to almost 5 million people.

In the future, the office will work through provincial reconstruction teams.

But the key, Speckhard said, is that this process will take time. "We are changing the processes and systems away from a dictatorship," he said. "By any measurement, Iraqis have it better today than under Saddam. But it's a slow change, and they want to move much faster."

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3624.html.

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Iraqi Military Chief Cites Progress, Challenges

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 12, 2005 - The highest-ranking military officer in Iraq said over the past year his country's armed forces have accomplished "almost a miracle."

Speaking through a translator, Army Gen. Babakir Shawkat Zebari said only one battalion was capable of operating with coalition forces when he became the Iraqi military's chief of staff. Now dozens are taking the lead in the counterinsurgency fight, and many more are operating with coalition forces.

In the west, he said, Iraqi forces now allow the coalition to hold areas. In the past, coalition forces would move into an area, clear out the terrorists and then leave -- hoping local institutions were strong enough to keep the terrorists at arm's length. That did not happen, he said.

Coalition military officials explained that at the time there weren't enough coalition troops to move into an area and leave them there.

But, Babakir said, the added Iraqi battalions now available allow commanders to do that. For example, Iraqi soldiers and police are integral to the strategy in Ramadi and Fallujah and along the Syrian border.

The Iraqi military will be at its full strength of 160,000 at the end of 2006, Babakir said. "So my assumption is that at the end of 2006, we could send half of the coalition soldiers home," he said. "Some people may not agree, but that is my opinion."

Babakir downplayed the danger of a civil war in the country. He said there certainly will not be a civil war "if the Americans stay." The mere existence of the Iraqi military, which is fair to all and contains soldiers from all over the country, is a unifying force.

The general said the Iraqi military should follow the U.S. example and "stay out of politics." The idea that soldiers should be experts in their field and serve their whole country -- not their tribe or city or province or religion -- is important to establish, Babakir said.

The Iraqi military already controls roughly 40 percent of the battlespace in Baghdad, officials said, and Iraqi units are taking over more and more of the fight in other areas of the country.

However, coalition officials stress that it will not be a one-for-one swap. American battalions are far more capable and cover a larger area than Iraqi battalions. But given the steady improvement in Iraqi capabilities, fewer coalition troops will be needed in the coming year.

"In 2006, we will work to establish the building blocks for the rest of the military," Babakir said. The general said he is realistic about the hurdles that lie ahead.

Logistics bases, communications networks, medical facilities and transportation capabilities must still be built.

"It is almost as if you are building a house," Babakir said. "What was there has been demolished and everything from the foundation on up must be rebuilt."

The Iraqi military has had success in training and recruiting. The training establishment is self-sustaining. There are plenty of volunteers for the military, and Iraqi instructors are training them.

The Iraqi military is challenged, however, because officials must build a force with coalition help while fighting the war on terrorism.

The general said the combat arm of the military is established. The Iraqi military has more than 100 battalions; a number of brigades are running operations in various areas of the country; and the Iraqi 6th Division is responsible for an operational area in Baghdad.

While the general said he believes the coalition will be able to cut the number of troops in Iraq in the coming year, Babakir said he does not favor a quick withdrawal of coalition troops. Any coalition troop withdrawal should be gradual, he said, because coalition forces are integral to the success of democracy in Iraq.

If coalition forces leave Iraq, he said, terrorist groups would be free to plan and train for more attacks like Sept. 11, and other attacks in Madrid, Spain; London; and Bali, Indonesia.

Iraq is the main theater in the global war on terrorism, he said. "If tomorrow (the United States) decides to leave, then you will see al Qaeda in your streets," he said. "They will claim that they have defeated you and that they are the ones who won.

Babakir thanked the American people for driving Saddam Hussein from power. "And we feel every American death," he said. "But in fighting terrorism you cannot close your eyes or turn your back to it. Do you think they will leave you alone if you leave Iraq? I think not."

"It would be better for the Americans to fight terrorism in this country than in their own," Babakir said. "And the people of this country are ready to support and assist in this war."

The Iraqi general also said the United States should think about establishing long-term bases in Iraq.

"This is a strategic area, and for your own self-interest you should have bases here," Babakir said. "You would help promote stability. Look at Germany and Japan and South Korea. Look at the turnaround in those countries, and it is all because of America's help and support.

"It would be a great success for America if it can help Iraq be a role model to the region," he said. "We have the capabilities to succeed. We need the time to do it."

Babakir said the people of Iraq are resilient, noting the people of Baghdad lived through eight years of bombing and missile attacks during the Iran-Iraq War. They also persevered in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and during the sanctions that followed.

"We have been through a lot, yet the daily routine of the people continues," he said. "And all the towns of this country are just like that."

He said he sees a gradual improvement in the situation in the country and that all aspects are linked together. As the military provides better security and the number of terrorist attacks drop, people will invest more in their communities, Babakir said.

That investment creates jobs and a sense in the population that they have a stake in the success of the country, the general noted. Then, more Iraqis will cooperate with Iraqi and coalition forces and give tips on terrorists. This allows the military to capture or kill more terrorists and to reinforce security. This is already the model in much of the country, he said.

_______________________________________________________
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BRAC Implementation Plan on Schedule, Official Says

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - The Defense Department expects to have a plan to implement Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations early next year, a DoD official said here Dec. 7.

The 2005 BRAC is the largest, most joint-service-oriented round DoD has ever attempted, Philip Grone, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, said in a Pentagon Channel interview. More than 800 installations across the country from the active, National Guard and Reserve components will be affected, Grone said, and 40 percent of the changes will affect more than one service.

"This is larger than anything we've ever attempted in the past, but it's necessary for the transformation of the armed forces and the transformation of our business practices to set about this broad realignment of American domestic military infrastructure," Grone said.

All the components are planning important mission moves, taking into consideration people, schedules and construction, Grone said. DoD civilian organizations are putting together programs to help civilian employees with transition or potential job placement, he added.

"We're trying to take care of our people," he said. "We're also planning to take care of the mission in terms of the move and planning for the construction to support those moves so that the missions can be transitioned in a seamless way."

The general plans for implementing the BRAC recommendations will be in place by February 2006, Grone said. At that time, DoD will be in a better position to develop detailed implementation plans for each installation, he said.

"All these implementation plans - over 241 of them - all have their own pace, their own schedule and their own cost structure," he said.

DoD already is working with BRAC-affected communities, both those that will be losing an installation and those that will be gaining missions, Grone said. Some communities already are taking measures to prepare themselves for the changes, he said.

One thing that communities need to do and are doing is to organize early and decide what they want the installations in their areas to look like, he said. This proactive approach will help communities that are losing an installation to use that space effectively and will help communities gaining military missions to realign their infrastructure to prepare for incoming forces, he said.

"It's a highly collaborative effort, Grone said. "And in all of these locations, we can't sustain the installations over the long term without the support of the community, which is so critically important to all of our missions."

Another way DoD is stepping forward to help communities is through a community conference, which will be held in the spring, Grone said. This will allow the communities to have dialogue with DoD representatives and with communities that have been affected by BRAC in the past, he said.

"Everyone has a role to play in this important transformational exercise of the department, and we aim to do this in as seamless a way as possible," he said. "We're all one team in this, and I believe that we've got the capacity and certainly the desire and the requirement to do all this in a way that is effective."

By law, all the BRAC recommendations have to be implemented by 2011, Grone said, and there is no reason to think DoD will have a problem meeting that deadline.

Related Site:

Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission [http://www.brac.gov/]

Related Article:

BRAC Deadline Expires; DoD to Begin Closures, Realignments [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051109_3280.html]

_______________________________________________________
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Recruiting Rates Up Militarywide; Army Targets New Veterans

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - Both the active Army and Army National Guard continued reversing a springtime recruiting slump, exceeding their November goals at 105 and 110 percent, respectively, defense officials announced today.

The active Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force also exceeded their November goals, reporting rates of 102, 105 and 101 percent, respectively. The Marine Corps Reserve and Air Force Reserve achieved 100 percent of their November recruiting goals as well, officials reported.

Three reserve components experienced shortfalls in November. The Army Reserve recruited 96 percent of its goal; the Navy Reserve, 87 percent. The Air National Guard, already at 99 percent of its year-end strength, recruited 71 percent of its earlier-designated November goal, officials said.

A new program designed to entice veterans of all services to join the Army is among initiatives expected to help the Army continue its recent success in reaching its recruiting goals, officials said. Officials are hopeful the new "Unity of Effort" program will encourage more prior-service members, regardless of their service, to bring their experience to the Army's ranks.

In mid-November Army officials contacted 78,000 veterans who recently left the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, encouraging them to consider returning to military service in the Army, Lt. Col. Roy Steed, the Army's deputy division chief of enlisted accessions, said during a recent interview with the Pentagon Channel.

The Army is hoping 1,600 of those contacted will take the Army up on its offer, helping the Army reach its higher recruiting goals with experienced new members who have already proven they can adapt to military life, Steed said.

"We are trying to work smart," he said. "If you have already recruited them once and you have already trained them once and the person wants to come back and serve, let's give them the opportunity to come back. And they are coming back."

Prior-service troops make attractive recruits, he said. "They bring experience. They bring commitment. They know what the military is about, so they already have that under the belt and they adjust and adapt a lot quicker," Steed said. "It's a win-win situation."

If retention rates are any indication, the program is likely to be a solid success.

The Army is at the 92 percent mark on its active-duty year-end re-enlistment goal, and the Marine Corps and Air Force both reported solid re-enlistment rates in November, defense officials reported today.

The Navy barely missed its mid-career goal, officials said, but is making program adjustments to reduce losses in specific specialized skill areas to achieve its end-of-year mission.

On the reserve component side, the Army and Air Guard retained 103 and 101 percent of their cumulative goals for the year, respectively. The Army Guard is at 95 percent of its end strength and the Air Guard is at 99 percent, officials said.

Losses in all other reserve components were within acceptable limits during October, and that trend continued in November, officials reported.

Related Site:

DoD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for November [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051212-5225.html]

_______________________________________________________
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the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
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Three Soldiers Killed During Separate Incidents in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 - One Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed south of Baghdad today. Another died in western Baghdad on Dec. 11. Both soldiers were killed when their patrols struck improvised explosive devices, military officials reported.

A third soldier, assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was killed in a suicide car-bomb attack near Ramadi Dec. 11. Several U.S. Army units are attached to 2nd MEF (Forward) during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The names of all three soldiers are being withheld pending notification the families.

In other news from Iraq, Iraqi soldiers captured an insurgent associated with a failed kidnapping of an Iraqi civilian and confiscated an 82 mm mortar system during a raid Dec. 11.

Troops from the 1st Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 5th Iraqi Army Division, handed the suspect and cache over to authorities pending further investigation. No injuries or damages were reported.

In the skies over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 53 close-air-support missions Dec. 11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force F-16s provided close-air support to coalition troops in contact with insurgent forces near Balad. Eleven U.S. Air Force and Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft also flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. British Royal Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a nontraditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases.)

Related Sites:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

U.S. Central Command Air Forces [http://www.centaf.af.mil/]

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq [http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051212_3615.html.

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Rice: Supporting Democracy 'Only Realistic Response' to Challenges

By Petty Officer 3rd Class John R. Guardiano, USN
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2005 - The U.S. military's promotion of democracy in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the globe is America's "only realistic path" to preserve and protect U.S. national security in a dangerous and hostile world, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today.

"Supporting the growth of democratic institutions in all nations is not some moralistic flight of fancy; it is the only realistic response to our present challenges," Rice wrote in an op-ed published in today's Washington Post.

The secretary acknowledged "this is admittedly a bold course of action." However, she contended, "it is consistent with the proud tradition of American foreign policy (espoused by) such recent presidents as Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan."

American support of democracy in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere will succeed, "not simply because it is optimistic and idealistic but also because it is premised on sound strategic logic and a proper understanding of the new realities we face," Rice said.

She said these new realities include the growing unlikelihood of war between major countries and the increasing threat posed by weak and failing states.

"Weak and failing states serve as global pathways that facilitate the spread of pandemics, the movement of criminals and terrorists, and the proliferation of the world's most dangerous weapons," she said. Consequently, U.S. policy aims "to help create a world of democratic, well-governed states that can meet the needs of their citizens and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system."

The secretary pointed to the myriad problems that, she said, have long been festering in the Middle East -- terrorism, corruption, weapons proliferation, tyranny, and oppression -- as illustrative of the failures of foreign policy "realism."

"Who truly believes, after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that the status quo in the Middle East was stable, beneficial and worth defending?" Rice said. "How could it have been prudent to preserve the state of affairs in a region that was incubating and exporting terrorism; where the proliferation of deadly weapons was getting worse ... where authoritarian regimes were projecting their failures onto innocent nations and peoples?

"It is sheer fantasy," Rice continued, "to assume that the Middle East was just peachy before America disrupted its alleged stability." To the contrary, she said, the Middle East has made "unprecedented progress" since U.S. troops arrived in Iraq.

The secretary cited Lebanese independence from foreign occupation and democratic reforms there, the Palestinian Authority's election of a leader who openly calls for peace with Israel, multiparty elections in Egypt, full citizenship for the women of Kuwait, and the drafting of a constitution and elections in Iraq.

"At this time last year," Rice said, "such unprecedented progress seemed impossible. One day it will all seem to have been inevitable. This is the nature of extraordinary times" in which we live.

Biography:

Condoleezza Rice [http://www.state.gov/secretary/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
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