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U.S. Defense Secretary gives gentle prod to Iraqi
government to move faster
5.6.2007
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June
5, 2007
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — U.S. Defense Secretary
Robert Gates gave the Iraqi government a gentle prod
today to move faster toward political reconciliation
during the American troop buildup in Baghdad.
"We would certainly be happier if there were faster
progress on the political front," Gates told
reporters during a joint news conference with Kyrgyz
Defense Minister Ismail Isakov. He noted that the
Iraqis had missed a May 31 deadline for passing a
hydrocarbons law — one of many political obstacles
yet to be overcome.
Gates was asked whether it appeared to him that U.S.
and Iraqi forces were making slower-than-expected
progress in establishing security in Baghdad
neighborhoods, as news reports have indicated in
recent days. He said he had not seen any early
projections by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S.
commander in Iraq, of how many neighborhoods were
expected to be cleared of insurgents by this point. |
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates |
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"So I'm not in a position to judge whether that is
faster or slower than General Petraeus anticipated,"
he said. "If it's slower it's clearly because al-Qaida
and others are trying to make as much difficulty as
possible for us and for the Iraqi government."
He noted that Petraeus is due to report to
Washington in September on how the U.S. troop
buildup is working.
"General Petraeus has been pretty clear from the
beginning that this was going to be a difficult
process," Gates said, referring to the
counterinsurgency campaign, which required the
addition of about 30,000 extra U.S. troops. Since
the troop buildup began in January, the U.S.
casualty rate has increased substantially.
Gates applauded the effort of Iraqi security forces,
saying they are suffering casualties at twice the
rate of U.S. forces.
"Their willingness to fight and die for their
country is not in doubt," he said.
Gates stopped in Bishkek to consult with Kyrgyz
officials about the U.S. use of an air base outside
the capital, where U.S. cargo and refueling planes
are stationed for operations related to the war in
Afghanistan. U.S. soldiers also transit through the
Manas air base on their way to Afghanistan. Gates
was in Afghanistan on Monday.
AP
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