The Top Line Special Edition - Operation Inherent Resolve

TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

01.23.2015

Courtesy Story

U.S. Central Command Public Affairs           

Special Edition Volume 2, Issue 3

TAMPA, Fla. - Recent U.S. government published messages regarding Operation Inherent Resolve.

President Barack Obama

[Regarding the fight against ISIL] “Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we've trained their security forces, who've now taken the lead, and we've honored our troops' sacrifice by supporting that country's first democratic transition. Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, we're partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America. In Iraq and Syria, American leadership - including our military power - is stopping ISIL's advance. Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group. We're also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent extremism. This effort will take time. It will require focus. But we will succeed. And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.” (State of the Union Address, Jan. 20, 2015)

[Regarding ISIL in Syria] “With respect to Syria and the connection to foreign fighters, there is no doubt that in the chaos and the vacuum that's been created in big chunks of Syria, that that's given an opportunity for foreign fighters to both come in and come back out.

“And I chaired a U.N. Security Council meeting and we are now busy working with our partners to implement a series of actions to identify who may be traveling to Syria in order to get trained, to fight, or to hatch plots that would be activated upon return to their home countries.

“So, it's a very serious problem. The notion that this is occurring because the United States or Great Britain or other countries stood on the sidelines, I think, first of all, mischaracterizes our position. We haven't been standing on the sidelines. It's true we did not invade Syria.

“If the assertion is that had we invaded Syria, we would be less prone to terrorist attacks, you know, I'll leave it to you to play out that scenario and whether that sounds accurate. We've been very active in trying to resolve a tragic situation in Syria diplomatically, through humanitarian efforts, through the removal of chemical weapons from Syria that, you know, had been so deadly.

“And now, as ISIL has moved forward, we've been very active in degrading their capabilities inside of Syria, even as we're working with partners to make sure that the foreign fighter situation is resolved.

“But I think David's point is the key one. This phenomenon of violent extremism, the ideology, the networks, the capacity to recruit young people, this has metastasized and it is widespread, and it has penetrated communities around the world.” (White House Press Conference, Jan. 16, 2015)

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

[Regarding reports that opposing forces have killed at least 6,000 ISIS fighters] “I have not seen any verification of that number of 6,000 that you referred to. We do know that thousands of ISIL fighters have been killed, and we do know that some of ISIL's leadership have been killed. But also, as you ask, is that the measurement or a significant measurement of progress? It is a measurement. But I don't think it is the measurement. I mean, I was in a war where there was a lot of body counts every day. And we lost that war. What you look at is you look at things like do you have ISIL on the defensive? And I think by most every measurement, not imperfect, not perfect, they have been on the defensive. Are they having difficulty recruiting? Yes they are. The Peshmerga and the Iraqi Security Forces cut into their supply lines? Yes, they have. Has there been a distortion in command and control networks of ISIL? Yes, there has been. Significant, tangible, measurable. These are also the metrics you look at as to how much progress you're making in a war.” (Press Briefing, Jan. 22, 2015)

Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander USCENTCOM

[Regarding the fight against ISIS] “Opposing forces have reclaimed about 300 square miles of territory in Iraq and killed some 6,000 members of the Sunni radical group, eliminating about half its leadership.” (Interview with Julian Barnes of the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2015)

[Regarding campaign pace and how U.S. must wait for Iraq’s forces to be ready before moving] “If we did things alone or with some of the other allies on the ground, it could move faster, but the Iraqis have to do this themselves.” (Interview with Julian Barnes of the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2015)

[Regarding Islamic State finding new fighters] The group “is beginning to experience a manpower issue.” (Interview with Julian Barnes of the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2015)

[Regarding possible request that the White House send in U.S. advisers alongside the Iraqi divisions.] “I am going to do what it takes to be successful, and it may very well turn out ... that we may need to ask to have our advisers accompany the troops that are moving on Mosul.” (Interview with Julian Barnes of the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2015)

[Predicting Islamic State’s leadership wouldn’t be able to re-establish their supply lines, opening a possibility that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group’s leader, could be forced to abandon Mosul] “He could make a decision to fight and retake those lines of communications, which I expect him to do. I expect him to ultimately lose that fight. He could make a decision to leave Mosul altogether and go back into Syria.” (Interview with Julian Barnes of the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2015)

Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary

[Regarding the current status of the train and equip mission] “Gen. Nagata continues to work this very, very hard. I think what you can expect is several hundred U.S. troops being sent over there in a training capacity to the various sites that are still being established and prepared.

“I think you'll start to see orders for some of those troops over the next four to six weeks. Some could be given orders very soon, perhaps as soon as within the next week or so. But they'll flow in, I think, over the next four to six weeks.

“I'm hesitant to give an exact number on that because I think some of the sourcing solutions are still being worked out, but several hundred is about the right range. And they'll be spread out accordingly, apportioned to the different sites. Again, it'll depend on the requirements and the - and the site preparations.

“I think it's also important to note that there will be significant contributions from partner nations in this as well.

“Now, I can't give you an exact number there. Each country's going to have to speak for that themselves. But in addition to some countries hosting the training, which again, we're grateful for, we expect that there will be countries that will also contribute trainers to this effort and - and to complement ours. So, it's not just going to be a U.S. effort.

“There will also be, in addition to, you know, back to the U.S. side, in addition to the several hundred trainers that we think we'll need to provide to this effort, I think you can expect to see there'll be additional U.S. service members going in a support capacity, and what we traditionally call enablers, that kind of thing.

“So, I don't know. Again, some of these sourcing solutions are still being worked. No orders have been cut as we sit here today, so I can't get into any specifics just now. But I think - and as you know, we always do, as orders are cut and as troops are deployed, we'll make the appropriate announcements at the right time.

“But the main point and to your question is that the progress continues on this. You know, we read out the meeting that Gen. Nagata had in Istanbul with some of the leaders of the Syrian opposition. His takeaway from those meetings was that they were positive, optimistic. He felt he learned a lot about them and about their interest in this, and it was clear to him that they do have an interest in contributing to this, in other words contributing trainees to this program. So there's interest on their part. And he's optimistic that things are moving in the right direction.” (Daily Press Briefing, Jan. 16, 2015)

[Regarding the status of the train and equip mission] “I'm reluctant to give you an exact number. I think several hundred trainers. It could be about a like number of enablers and support personnel. So all told, the number total for this mission could approach 1,000. It might even exceed that. I can't rule that out. We need to be careful about numbers here, because they will change. And again, the sourcing solutions are still being worked out. And as I said, as we get better fidelity on this, and as units get orders to go, we'll make sure that you know.

“We've said all along, the training could take at least several months before they would be in a position to head back into the fight. It's hard to say. I mean, if the training is able to start in March, you could be looking at some opposition groups, you know, getting back into Syria and into the fight you know, before the end of the year. I think that's certainly a possibility, but we've got a lot of work to do before we're there.” (Daily Press Briefing, Jan. 16, 2015)

[Regarding Gen. Campbell’s response to ISIL potentially being in Afghanistan] “I don't think Gen. Campbell said ‘no he hadn't seen any.’ I think he said it's something that they're watching and they're mindful of, and have seen no evidence here that there is any significant ISIL presence in Afghanistan or a strong recruiting effort. But we can't rule that out either.

“And that's what Gen. Campbell was talking about. And we're certainly watching that very, very closely. This is a group that not only does it espouse a brutal ideology, but they're somewhat evangelistic about it, and they want to grow, they want to increase, they want to inspire others, so we couldn't rule it out that they wouldn't try in some way to inspire or to attract recruits from Afghanistan or from the Taliban.

“But the general also said, and he's right, I mean the Taliban and their ideology, if you will, is different from ISIL. It's a completely different strain. And they see themselves a part of the future of Afghanistan. They have wanted to govern Afghanistan since they lost power in the early 2000s. It's a different mindset altogether, a different organization. But we can't rule that out, and I think that's what the general was referring to.” (Daily Press Briefing, Jan. 16, 2015)

Secretary of State John Kerry

[Regarding the progress made against ISIL] “We are critically dependent on all 60-plus nations that are engaged in this effort. But as we have put this together now in a matter of a few months, we have gone from zero at the end of September to now, in January, in our fourth month, having stopped ISIL’s advance in Iraq, having negated their resources, their capacity to move foreign fighters, to a significant degree, and changed their operations as a result of what we’ve been able to do. We still have a lot of work to do, and the purpose of coming here is to bring everybody’s best advice, everybody’s thoughts about where there may be weaknesses, everybody’s thoughts about things we can do better, put that together, improve our own performance and operation, and lay down the strategy for the days ahead.” (Remarks made at conference in London, Jan. 22, 2015)

[When asked if people should be dismayed with the results of the fight against ISIL] “I don’t think people should be dismayed. I think they should be encouraged, in fact. Police forces, law enforcement community, intelligence community of many countries have come together in an incredibly effective way to fight against an insidious, long-time planning process that has been in place. And in a sense, we’re flushing them out. These sleeper cells have been there for years now. Many of these plans have been in place for a long period of time, long preceding what we’ve been doing with respect to ISIS. But the truth is that these groups are planning and have been planning for a long period of time, going back to Osama bin Laden and 9/11 in New York, to attack Western interests and to go after anybody that they disagree with. Their goal is to suppress and to take over and to expand a very nihilistic, unbelievably oppressive sense of how people ought to live. And we’ve seen them carried out in the most egregiously horrendous fashion with public beheadings. They’re now threatening to Japanese hostages. I think this is a challenge for all of us. It’s a challenge of our time. And we need to step up and lead and be strong and be clear about what is at stake, and that’s exactly why we’re here and meet today.” (Remarks made at conference in London, Jan. 22, 2015)

John Allen, presidential special envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL

[Regarding IEDs] “With regard to dealing with the improvised explosive devices, IEDs, and mines, that is a concern of ours. I know it's a concern of the Iraqi Security Forces. Many of their casualties, in fact, come from IEDs, as they're called. So a part of the training that we intend to pursue will be, ultimately, to provide support, both in terms of training, explosive ordnance disposal, soldiers within Iraqi Security Forces, but, more broadly, to give the Iraqi troops the capabilities of dealing with IEDs as they encounter them. And I think that's represented by the fact the United States has just given 250 what we call MRAPs, which are armored vehicles specifically engineered to protect troops from the explosive effects of IEDs. So it will be a function of our training; it will be a function of our providing equipment to the troops themselves, in their formations; it will be a function of our providing armored protective mobility, so that they can move as quickly as they can, and be the least susceptible to the effects of IEDs.” (Press Availability, Jan. 16, 2015)

[Regarding the training sites and other plans] “What we're hoping to do today is to work through the Iraqi Security Forces, both those that are effective in the field today, and those that are being reconstituted through the various training sites that have been established in Iraq to bring to fruition the training of 12 brigades: three in the north; nine in the south. And, with advising and assisting these formations, with continual training, refitting, and equipping these formations, we expect that we will see the effectiveness of this force improve over time and, ultimately, that they will be able to take back the population centers and the municipalities. It's important that it be done in the right measures. It's important that we have all the pieces in place when that time comes. It's important that it's done in a deliberate manner, so that the planning is, in fact, accomplished in the kinds of detail necessary, and it's done in conjunction with the support that we have from the coalition. But it's also not just a military matter. There are going to be some humanitarian assistance considerations that will be necessary for us to consider as that effort by Iraqi Security Forces to retake the country unfolds. As you certainly will understand and know, we will have to provide relief to the population. There will be requirements for reconstruction.” (Press Availability, Jan. 16, 2015)

[Regarding taking back Mosul] “It's not easy, but it's pretty straightforward. You have to generate the forces. By estimating the enemy's posture and the enemy's capabilities you have to generate the forces that will give you the tactical advantage, when the time comes to begin the operations.

“Before that operation begins, there are probably some operations that you will want to undertake that we call shaping operations, which sets the conditions for success. That, both the shaping operations and the actual military operations with respect to Mosul, would need to be very closely coordinated with the Coalition so that our capabilities are brought to bear at exactly the right time and in exactly the right proportions to provide the greatest confidence and capability for success to the Iraqi Security Forces.

“But it's not just the army. Again, there are police considerations. Because once the security activities have occurred, then you have stability activities that must occur, and that's where the population now will be protected in the aftermath of the clearing operation from the resurgence of criminal elements or elements of Da’esh that may seek to get back inside the population. So there will be a need for a police presence that moves quickly behind the assault echelons that clear Mosul.

“Then the re-establishment of local governance will be important to tie, very quickly, that critical city, that iconic city of Iraq, to tie the governance of the people back into the central government. And then, of course, as I said, an immediate infusion of humanitarian assistance for the population with very serious consideration for reconstruction. In there is the re-establishment of electricity and fresh water, some infrastructure protection and infrastructure restoration.” (Press Availability, Jan. 16, 2015)

Marie Harf, State Department deputy spokesperson

[When asked which is more of a threat, AQ or ISIS] “They are both very significant threats. As I said, AQAP is the most dangerous affiliate that’s affiliated with AQ core, particularly when it comes to external attacks and looking at Western Europe or the United States. We’ve seen them attempt terrorist attacks on the U.S. with the Christmas Day bombing, the cargo plot, and others. AQ core also clearly remains a threat, as we’ve talked about; ISIS is a different kind of threat, as we’ve also talked about, which is why we’re going after them in Iraq and Syria.” (Daily Press Briefing, Jan. 14, 2015)

[Regarding how the U.S. is being perceived in Iraq] “I don’t think I have a good way to judge the public relations battle inside Iraq, but I will say what we’ve heard from Iraqi leaders across the political spectrum is how closely they want to work with the United States, how valuable they know our contributions are. We hear it from average Iraqis too, so, a lot of this is anecdotal, but I do think that we’ve heard from people across the spectrum how much they value our working on this together.” (Daily Press Briefing, Jan. 12, 2015)

[Regarding the Iraqis working with Syria on a solution] “We have had on the table the Geneva communique, obviously, which laid out the basis for a political solution. Now obviously, we’re a long way away from that. We need a variety of actors to step up and play a constructive role, and certainly, if the Iraqis can, that would be helpful. Obviously, it’s the Syrian opposition that’s most important, as well as the Assad regime getting everybody to the table to talk about a political solution. We’re very far from that, but certainly, if regional players can help and play positive roles, we would welcome that.” (Daily Press Briefing, Jan. 12, 2015)

Stuart E. Jones, U.S. ambassador to Iraq

[Regarding airstrikes against ISIL] “We estimate that the airstrikes have now killed more than 6,000 ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq. [Airstrikes have] destroyed more than a thousand of ISIS vehicle inside Iraq.” (Interview given to Al Arabiya News Channel, Jan. 22, 2015)

[Regarding the United States' donation of MRAPs to the Iraqi military] “The United States is committed to supporting the Iraqi government and security forces combat the threat of ISIL and protect the Iraqi population. During 2014, the United States provided $300 million to the Government of Iraq for equipment for soldiers (12,000 sets of body armor, Kevlar helmets, and medical kits), counter-IED equipment, vehicle maintenance and sustainment, and tank and helicopter maintenance training. In addition to the grant of the MRAPs, the United States supplied transportation and six-month maintenance for the 250 MRAPs, and 10,000 M16A2 rifles (to be delivered in early 2015). These deliveries were in response to Iraqi government requests, and were the latest in a series of deliveries bringing critical supplies to Iraq.” (Press Release, Jan. 6, 2015)

• Date Taken: 01.23.2015
• Date Posted: 01.23.2015 18:13
• Story ID: 152639
• Location: TAMPA, FLORIDA, US