Pace Reminds Americans U.S. is a 'Nation at War'

DoD - American Forces Press Service ^ | Nov. 8, 2003 | Jim Garamone

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Pace Reminds Americans U.S. is a 'Nation at War'

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2003 – The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the United States is winning the war in Afghanistan and Iraq and that America is making progress in the global war on terrorism.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace also said the rotation plan for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is a good one and a signal that the United States is in for the long haul.

Pace conducted a round robin series of interviews with television stations in Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Seattle Nov. 6.

He said since Sept. 11, 2001, "we have been a nation at war and we are winning this war in Afghanistan. We are winning this war in Iraq. We are winning this war against the global networks and we will continue to do so. But it requires commitments of not only the individuals in uniform who are doing this, but our entire government and, indeed, our citizenry."

Pace praised Congress for passing the $87 billion supplemental request. The money includes $20 billion for rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of that money will go to training Iraqi security forces – a goal of the Bush administration since the fall of Baghdad.

The vice chairman explained that the Iraqis taking over a greater share of the security burden will help the nation along the path to self-government. If all goes well the next force rotation will mean a cut in U.S. troops levels in Iraq from 130,000 today to about 105,000 in May 2004.

But the total number of security personnel will actually go up, he said. "We started out with about 160,000 U.S. troops and zero Iraqi troops and about 12,000 non-Iraqi coalition members back in May (2003)," he said. Today there are about 118,000 Iraqis participating in security forces in the country. Officials estimate that number will grow to about 150,000 Iraqis in June 1004 and to about 200,000 by the end of the year.

Iraqi security forces have taken over much of the policing, the border patrols and infrastructure protection. "Those are the kinds of security positions that the Iraqi forces will be replacing coalition and U.S. forces," Pace said. "There will still be three very, very capable, competent U.S. divisions on the ground in Iraq. There will still be two very capable and competent coalition force divisions on the ground. So our capability to take this fight to the enemy will be sustained."

Pace said President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld have repeatedly told Army Gen. John Abizaid, the chief of U.S. Central Command, and Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 7, that they can have whatever resources it takes to win the war.

"These are the numbers that those commanders on the ground who are working this problem day to day say they need to get the job done," Pace said.

But security alone is not enough. Transferring governance to the Iraqi people is important so the Iraqis don't see the United States and its allies as occupying forces.

"We are there to turn over their country back to them with a constitution that they have written, with a form of government that they have selected, that will allow them to live free and be part of the community of nations," Pace said.

The general said the United States will continue to take the fight to the enemy, but will also work to improve infrastructure and speed the political process. All these must go hand-in-hand, he noted.

More than 47,000 reserve component service members are part of the next Iraq and Afghanistan rotation. Pace said recruiting and retention for the reserve components has remained high, but it is something DoD must keep an eye on. "We don't want to assume that just because right now the numbers are good that they'll stay that way," he said.

Pace said first, the DoD must ensure the missions assigned reserve component personnel are good ones. Second, DoD must be careful to not call on the reserve components too often. "Number three, we need to make sure that we take care of their families and that we respect the absolute right for them to know when they're going to be called up, how long they're going to be on active duty, and when we're going to let them go back to their civilian jobs," he said.

Pace commented on current operations in Iraq. He said there are always spikes in violence, but the American people must see the whole picture. He said there is more electrical power than under Saddam. The country is exporting oil again. The health system is up and working and receiving necessary upgrades.

"There are 97,000 Iraqi students who have applied to the university system," he said. "That's more than they've ever had in recent times. There are many, many ways you can measure progress in a country.

"This not to make light of a single death to a U.S. or coalition soldier. Each one of those is a tragedy. But we are winning this war," he concluded.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

8 Regional Media Interviews with Gen. Pace

[rickmichaels]

God bless America, land that I love.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

..since Sept. 11, 2001, "we have been a nation at war and we are winning this war in Afghanistan. We are winning this war in Iraq. We are winning this war against the global networks and we will continue to do so. But it requires commitments of not only the individuals in uniform who are doing this, but our entire government and, indeed, our citizenry."

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[MEG33]

I thank each one who serves my country.

[Burkeman1]

Does not one person see how absurd it is to wage a "war against terrorism"? Might as well wage a war against poverty or drugs. Oops, we are! What about a war against Sin while we are at it? And now that we have people killing our troops and targeting our bases and administrative buildings in Iraq we still call them "terrorists"?

[MEG33]

This is a difficult war.It is a different kind of war.I know Reagan's vision about the USSR was thought to be an impossible one.We are just at the beginning of this war on terror and Bush's vision of a free democratic middle east seems impossible. Reagan was right.It took many years to achieve,as will this vision of the Middle East.

[Burkeman1]

This conflict is entirely different from the Cold War. During the Cold War the populations of Eastern and Central Europe under Soviet Russian control were with the West and the US in spirit and in their hearts. It was their Soviet puppet governments that we oppossed.

In the Middle East it is the exact opposite! We support the corrupt governments that are "pro USA" while their people suffer under that rule and are anti USA.

Bush had a speech the other day about promoting democracy in Syria and Iran. And yet he treats the dictators of Pakistan and Uzbekistan with trade favors. Don't think that is not lost on the entire Muslem world! They know hypocrisy when they see it.

[varon]

"we have been a nation at war and we are winning this war in Afghanistan.

They'll be saying the same thing 50 years from now, unless, there is a regime change or we occupy Pakistan also. Otherwise the Bad Guys are bouncing in and out of Pakistan at their convenience and we can't do squat.

[Burkeman1]

Pakistan and Uzbekistan! Two dictatoships we love in the Middle East and just two reasons not one muslem believes a word Bush said in his "groundbreaking" speech yesterday!

We support corrupt regimes all over the Middle East to the deriment of the man in the street! We support military dictators against the wishes of their own people! And yet we have the nerve to ask "why do they hate us?"

Heck, we even supported and loved Sadaam when he was in our interests! You don't think Iraqis know this?

Utter piffle.

[Burkeman1]

ANSWER is a bunch of Marxist creeps who openly support the killing of our troops in Iraq. If my post has any similarity to their rhetoric it is only by accident.

[Miss Marple]

Go to the White House web site and read that speech again. It is for ALL Middle Eastern and Islamic countries, and it encourages ALL of them to move towards democracy.

You are so convinced that Bush is wrong that you discount important statements he makes.

[Burkeman1]

We suppoprt the dictator in Uzbekistan, and we support Mushareff in Pakistan. In fact we like him so much that this is what Bush did for him:

http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/03031406.htm

Tell me how that sells in Damascus or Cairo?

[Burkeman1]

So Bush is going to back stab this on Pakistan:

http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/03031406.htm

[Burkeman1]

But he loves Democracy for Muslems!

[templar]

Might as well wage a war against...

Violence, maybe?

[Burkeman1]

LOL! Yes- why not! Let's wage a "War against Violence"! That would keep the STATISTS happy and very employed!

[Burkeman1]

Yeah right!