Friday
Apr112008
"We're on the same page"
Friday, April 11, 2008 at 1:59PM
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen gave a press conference at the Pentagon today summing up their testimony on Capitol Hill in addition to the marathon testimony by Multinational Forces Iraq commander, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker.
Gates said that before this period of reporting back to the Congress and the Bush administration he had hoped that he, Petraeus, the Joint Chiefs, and the former head of Central Command Adm. Fallon would have a chance to speak their mind on Iraq and Afghanistan as decisions are made about the way forward. Gates said that it just so happened that all involved ended up on the same page as far as relying on information from Gen. Petraeus about conditions on the ground and making decisions based on his reports. Gates reiterated what he has said on Capitol Hill, that it is important not to "get the end game wrong in Iraq"
Mullen said that he feels that this evaluation of forces in Iraq is important, particularly because it will inform troop decisions made about Afghanistan. The 3,500 additional Marines the Defense Department announced it would send in January have been deployed and are en-route to their work in Afghanistan. Gates made sure to say that President Bush had been careful at the NATO summit in Bucharest to say that the U.S. would send more troops to Afghanistan, but not to say exactly how many or when.
When asked whether Muqtada al Sadr is an enemy of the United States, Mullen responded that Sadr is an enigma, whose cease-fire agreement has certainly been a help to the decrease in violence in Iraq. Gates answered that anyone who is prepared to participate in the Iraqi political process in a peaceful and constructive way is no enemy of the United States.
A big topic was Iran. Gates said that he was not sure if the recent reports of Iranian activity indicated an actual uptick in Iranian involvement in Iraq or if in the recent fighting in Basra such activity has just become more apparent. Both men said that they have seen no indication that Iranian President Ahmadinejad had direct knowledge of influence over the Iranian groups that fund and support terrorism in Iraq. But Gates said that though he's seen no evidence he finds it hard to believe that Ahmadinejad doesn't have direct knowledge.
And finally Gates, speaking on Afghanistan, said that the war there seems to have very broad bipartisan support and that he is sure that no matter who the next president is, they will have success in Afghanistan as a goal.
Gates said that before this period of reporting back to the Congress and the Bush administration he had hoped that he, Petraeus, the Joint Chiefs, and the former head of Central Command Adm. Fallon would have a chance to speak their mind on Iraq and Afghanistan as decisions are made about the way forward. Gates said that it just so happened that all involved ended up on the same page as far as relying on information from Gen. Petraeus about conditions on the ground and making decisions based on his reports. Gates reiterated what he has said on Capitol Hill, that it is important not to "get the end game wrong in Iraq"
Mullen said that he feels that this evaluation of forces in Iraq is important, particularly because it will inform troop decisions made about Afghanistan. The 3,500 additional Marines the Defense Department announced it would send in January have been deployed and are en-route to their work in Afghanistan. Gates made sure to say that President Bush had been careful at the NATO summit in Bucharest to say that the U.S. would send more troops to Afghanistan, but not to say exactly how many or when.
When asked whether Muqtada al Sadr is an enemy of the United States, Mullen responded that Sadr is an enigma, whose cease-fire agreement has certainly been a help to the decrease in violence in Iraq. Gates answered that anyone who is prepared to participate in the Iraqi political process in a peaceful and constructive way is no enemy of the United States.
A big topic was Iran. Gates said that he was not sure if the recent reports of Iranian activity indicated an actual uptick in Iranian involvement in Iraq or if in the recent fighting in Basra such activity has just become more apparent. Both men said that they have seen no indication that Iranian President Ahmadinejad had direct knowledge of influence over the Iranian groups that fund and support terrorism in Iraq. But Gates said that though he's seen no evidence he finds it hard to believe that Ahmadinejad doesn't have direct knowledge.
And finally Gates, speaking on Afghanistan, said that the war there seems to have very broad bipartisan support and that he is sure that no matter who the next president is, they will have success in Afghanistan as a goal.
Pentagon Morning Report: Iraq is the news in Mexico
Morell said that everyone from the Secretary of Defense to the Chairman if the Joint Chiefs of Staff has acknowledged what a problem Iranian involvement in Iraq is and is determined to deal with it inside Iraq.
Morrell said that he is not aware of ramping up or revision of war plans for Iran. The focus of U.S. efforts is that Iranian arms and training of terrorists by Iran be dealt with within the confines of Iraq, Morrell said. He warned against the perception of an uptick in Iranian actions in Iraq, though he said, "We are seeing evidence that it continues."
He also said that since the Basra incursion the Iraqi military has made great strides since the fighting a few weeks ago. One example of progress was the development of a concerned local citizens group called "sons of Basra," paid by the Iraqi government to protect their neighborhoods.