The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: Positive, Negative News From Iraq

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Positive, Negative News From Iraq

There is both good news and bad news
coming out of Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said
yesterday.

The 2005 Iraqi elections were hopeful signs for the nation, Marine Gen.
Peter Pace said at a meeting of the World Affairs Council at the Four
Seasons Hotel here. Good news stories from the country include Iraq's
election of a Transitional National Assembly in January 2005, the
ratification in an October 2005 referendum of a constitution written by that
body, and December national elections for representatives to the
permanent parliament.

He said the training of the Iraqi military also is a plus. A year ago,
the Iraqi army had only a handful of battalions. "Now, there are almost
130," Pace said. Similarly, a year ago there were no Iraqi brigades or
divisions; now the Iraqi army boasts more than 30 brigades and "eight,
going to 10" divisions, he said.

In November 2005, more Iraqi units than coalition forces participated
in company-sized operations, and that trend is continuing, Pace said.
"Today, 83 percent of all operations are led solely by Iraqis or Iraqis
and coalition forces, with the other 17 percent being coalition-only
(operations)," he said.

And Iraqi forces are becoming more capable, Pace said. Before the first
election, on Jan. 30, 2005, some Iraqi police units dissolved under
pressure and ran from the battlefield. "Once the election of January 2005
took place, we have not had an Iraqi unit walk off the battlefield," he
said. "I believe that is because they now have a central entity they
can be loyal to."

But, Pace acknowledged, there are problems in Iraq. "Obviously, the
bombs are still going off," he said. "We have not yet turned the corner in
convincing the Iraqi people that their future is with their new
government. Once the Iraqi people believe that, then the relatively small
number of people who are swimming inside that society and making the bombs
will dry up or be cast out."

Setting up a government is a priority, the general said. "The elections
were in December. It is now April. Iraqi elected leaders were elected
to do a job -- that is to form a government. They need to get about
doing what the citizens elected them to do," he said.

Iraq needs a unity government that the armed forces, the police and the
people can support "and believe will provide for them the better life
ahead -- the sooner the better," Pace said.

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