CinC Speaks at Naval Academy
Live-blogged notes on the address. The Chief’s instant impression evaluation: a great start to explain the strategic goals and progress of the Iraq war: victroy trumps withdrawel. Well said, including a much-deserved jab in the eyes of the withdrawel timetable advocates.
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Terror war fought on many fronts.
Enemy must be defeated on every battlefield – Iraq has become central front of terror war.
Understand the enemy: in Iraq composed of several groups.
“(1) Rejectionists (Sunnis upset that no longer dominant power group in Iraq, but not all Sunnis.
2) Former Saddam loyalists/Baathists – lack popular support, will become marginalized.
(3) al Qaida affiliates / allies- smallest group – many non-Iraqis – resp. for suicide bombers, beheadings, kidnappings, etc. Seek to gain Iraq as base to push for Islamist empire. Ultimate failure will be based on failure of will to power overcoming desire for freedom.
These have same philosophy & ideology as 9-11 hijackers.
Response to them “Never back down. Never give in. Accept nothing less than complete victory.”
Release of unclassified version of overall strategic plan:
– help Iraq to build free society institutions
– security improvement by cleaning out terr centers, building up
Iraqi military & police strength
– redevelop Iraq economy & infrastructure with int’l & UN participation.
Need for strong Iraqi police/military forces – they know the territory and their own people – taking on greater share of load to assume responsability for their own security.
(Examples of successful Iraqi role in security, taking war to terrs.)
Last year Fallujah – mostly US troops; this year Talifar – mostly Iraqi forces. Iraqi forces taking direct control of more of their own territory, taking over more operational bases.
Changing of approach to training Iraqi forces from initial emphasis on Civil Defense Militias, to current focus on Iraq army able to deal with both foriegn threats and domestic attacks from terrs, etc.
Enhanced training for Iraqi military and police forces. Police recruits with much more field training. Shift of emphasis to “train the trainers” – Iraqi instructors trained up, then used to train their own field forces.
Involvement of Sunni leaders, Sunnis in process.
Comments on state of training of Iraqi army, including development of logistical “tail” for forces.
Devel. of Iraqi Air Force, Navy, Intel, also on-going.
Anecdotal reports of improvement in Iraqi capability and performance.
When Iraqis able to assume full responsibility, US forces will leave. This is joint US and Iraqi goal. US will stay as long as necessary, and with whatever force levels are necessary. As US troop levels decrease, & Iraqis improve, same effectiveness will be maintained.
Troop levels dictated by conditions on the ground, NOT by artificial deadlines set by politicians in Washington. Reference to Sen. Lieberman remarks about this.
“America will not run, in the face of car-bombers and assassins, so long as I am your Commander-in-Chief.”
“Stay the course” to persevere to win IS part of policy, but not to continue without evolving tactics and strategy to meet the needs on the ground.
Washington debate should not detract from efforts.
Settle for nothing less than complete victory, which will come when terrs cannot threaten Iraqi democracy, or use Iraq as base of ops.
Freedom defeated WW-II fascism, Soviet-era Communism, not Islamofascist terrs likewise will be defeated, Islamic countries to become ultimate allies in seeking peace & democratic reform. This will strengthen and enhance US security.
US responding to historic mission to advance freedom, which “is the destiny of every man on the Earth.”
Complete the mission to honor the sacrifice of those who have lost lives.