Statements by U.S. Officials

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace Interview with NTV

March 24, 2006

QUESTION: Good morning, sir. Welcome to Ankara.

GENERAL PACE: Good morning.

QUESTION: I would like to start my questions with Iraq. American troops have been in Iraq for three years. Now can you tell us that the U.S. army has reached the goals in this country in three years? How do you evaluate the situation?

GENERAL PACE: I’ll be happy to answer that question, but if I can take just one minute to say thank you to the Turkish Government and to the Turkish people for your incredible long term friendship, for the leadership that Turkey has shown in Afghanistan and support for Iraq. We’ve been friends for decades, we are in this together. Everything that Turkey has done over the many decades that we have been friends has been good for Turkey and good for the United States.  We appreciate the support and friendship and I appreciate the opportunity to say that to your population who is listening.

With regard to Iraq, there are things that are going the way we would like them to and things that are not going the way we would like them to. Specifically the things that are going the way we like are the training of the Iraqi armed forces. With last year, over a hundred thousand additional troops have been trained, they have performed well in the field. They now control more than half of Baghdad and about one third of the country. Last year this time there were about six or seven battalions; this year there are over 130. Last year there were no brigades -- units of about three thousand troops -- now there are over thirty brigades. Last year there were no divisions -- there are about fourteen thousand troops per division -- and this year there are eight going to ten. So the Iraqi armed forces have not only increased in size but in capability and in capacity on the battlefield. They have been taking the lead now monthly. Over 75% of the company-sized operations and above are either led solely by Iraqis or in cooperation with the coalition. Only 25% percent of the operations have been done by the coalition.

Obviously on the other side of the coin, are the continuing suicide attacks and bombings that take place. These terrorists are still trying to capture, steal Iraq by fear. They know that they have lost their opportunity to stop the elections. They know that they’ve lost their opportunity to stop the writing of the constitution. They fear the stand up of the representative government and they are doing all they can right now to try to turn the tide, but they will fail again.

QUESTION:  General you are talking about your problems in Iraq, but I would like to know whether is there any date when the US Army is planning to withdraw in the short term or mid-term from Iraq? Is there a plan?

GENERAL PACE: There is a plan as far as the kinds of things that must happen, so that we can in fact turn over more territory to the Iraqis. And as you have seen in the past, when we need to increase our troops we have. For example, getting ready for the most recent election we were up to about 160,000 troops. Immediately after that, the judgment of the commanders on the ground in coordination with the Iraqi Government brought it back down to 138,000 and announced the withdrawal of two of our brigade-sized units. So that now we are down to about 132,000 to 133,000 on the ground. We will continue to monitor the situation as the Iraqi units continue to take over territory will be able to back away and then over time reduce the size not only of US Forces, but all country forces. It will be based on conditions on the ground and not on some pre-arranged timetable.

QUESTION: General, as you mentioned before, there is non-stop violence in Iraq and in Turkey and in several countries people see the high risk of a civil war in Iraq. How do you evaluate this risk? Do you feel that there might be a civil war in this country in the short term?

GENERAL PACE: I do not think there will be a civil war but there certainly is the opportunity for a civil war. If the Iraqi people were to decide that’s what they wanted, but they have shown since the terrible attack, bombing of the Golden Dome Mosque, which is a horrible act of terrorism.  But since that time the Iraqi people have walked up to the abyss and looked into it and decided they do not want to have civil war.  The religious leaders, their elected leaders, they have all asked for calm, pressed for calm. The police and the armed forces in the main have done very well in maintaining calm in the streets.  So I think the Iraqi people understand that they are at a historic moment.  Their elected leaders are selecting their leadership right now and if they come forward with a unifying government, with a government that represents Sunni, Shiite, Kurd and is Iraqi in flavor through and through, I think we are going to see a very healthy, prosperous 2006 and we’ll see Iraqi people taking on more and more of the responsibility for their own country.

QUESTION:  General Pace, when we talk about the territorial integrity of Iraq, I would like to refer to a discussion in Turkey.  Several people again see the chance or the risk of a separate, independent country in Iraq with or without civil war. I’m talking about a free Kurdistan.  From the military point of view, is it possible to see such an independent country in the northern part of Iraq?

GENERAL PACE:  I think it will be not good for Iraq to allow that to happen.  Iraq is a solid, prosperous, wealthy country, with well-educated individuals that has the opportunity now to have a very, very solid future.  For them to splinter will be bad for that country and certainly bad for the neighbors.  We are committed – the United States is committed along with all of our coalition partners and certainly in all of our dialogue with Turkey -- that Iraq should stay one country.

QUESTION:  So when we talk about northern Iraq, I have a question about the PKK terrorist organization.  Now the Turkish public has expectations for a very long time for concrete steps from the US, especially from the US Army against the PKK.  What are the plans concerning the PKK?  For example in the short term do you have on the agenda a maybe limited military operation against them?

GENERAL PACE:  First of all, as you know the PKK is a terrorist organization.  Their existence as a terrorist organization is unacceptable to us and unacceptable to Turkey.  As you know, your country has for decades fought against these terrorists.  It is a very difficult situation.  Inside Iraq there are members of the PKK.  We know that and you know that.  Iraq’s standup of its government is fundamental to dealing properly with the PKK.  We are focused right now on helping the Iraqi armed forces become strong enough to be able to provide security in the country.  We are focused right now on helping the Iraqi Government stand up.  Once they have been able to do that, then the sovereign state of Iraq, the United States and the sovereign state of Turkey will be able to work together to eliminate the PKK threat.  But that does not mean that we are not doing anything with your government right now, but I cannot talk about that on open television.  And throughout Europe there is a lot going on. But with regard to the PKK and any kind of attacks against the PKK inside of northern Iraq, that is going to have to wait until we are able to get the security situation throughout Iraq to the level at which the Iraqi Government can function with all the bombings and those things having been suppressed.

QUESTION:  General Pace, when I talk to American authorities, they underline the importance of Turkish-Iraqi-American cooperation against the PKK.  But on the other hand, Iraqi forces as you mentioned before are not even able to keep the stability in their territory, in Baghdad, the capital city.  So does that mean that we are going to wait years and years for this cooperation?

GENERAL PACE:  No.  I think we have cooperation right now.  Your government has members of your government in Iraq right now helping the Iraq Government stand up.  You have been kind enough to bring many members of the Iraqi Government here to Turkey to help train them.  I know it is difficult to have additional patience.  But as you know, your country has been trying to deal with this inside of Turkey for decades.  It is a very difficult problem.  We should understand that the best way to deal with the PKK is from a position of strength.  Your country is strong.  It is dealing with it from a position of strength.  We need to strengthen Iraq so they too can deal with it from a position of strength.

QUESTION:  There is also a fact that the terrorists are coming from Iraq to Turkey more or less every day and they are attacking the Turkish security forces.  If the level of the attacks increase and the Turkish army would like to make a limited operation into northern Iraq for example in summer, what will be your reaction?

GENERAL PACE:  I do not deal with hypotheticals.  We have and will continue to have dialogue with your government -- military to military. I would not want to hypothesize about what might happen or might not happen. 

QUESTION:  General Pace, let’s stay in northern Iraq.  There was a very unfortunate event in Sulaimaniyah a few years ago, and you can still see the irritation of this event in Turkish public opinion.  Now when we talk to political people, they say that the problems are over actually of the Sulaimaniyah event.  As a soldier, can say that the problems are over?  How do you evaluate this Sulaimaniyah event?

GENERAL PACE:  I am sorry. I do not understand the problem you are talking about.  I didn’t understand the word you spoke.

QUESTION:  What I tried to explain is there was an event in Sulaimaniyah in northern Iraq.  This is a city, Sulaimaniyah, where a few Turkish soldiers have been captured by the American soldiers.

GENERAL PACE:  Oh, yes.  Of course, thank you.  That was a misunderstanding, an unfortunate misunderstanding for which we are not happy.  Once we understood that those soldiers were in fact Turkish soldiers, and not enemy soldiers, we set them free.  That is, from the US military standpoint, something we wish did not happen.  But we are sorry it did happen.  We will leave this behind us. Military-to-military we have gotten past that. I hope that the Turkish people understand that was a mistake.  It was not intentional and as best we can it won’t happen again.

QUESTION:  General Pace, I will have a last question about northern Iraq.  There is a popular movie at the moment in Turkey.  Several people, especially American authorities believe that this movie provokes anti-American feelings in Turkey.  Maybe you didn’t watch the movie, but how do you evaluate this type of movie in Turkey against American interest or creating anti-American feelings?

GENERAL PACE:  As you said I have not yet seen the movie.  I heard about it.  First of all it was pure fiction.  It did not happen.  The armed forces of the United States and the armed forces of Turkey have always fought side by side.  We have for decades and we will in the future.  So the movie portrays something that has not happened, and will not happen.  It also, as I understand it, flies in the face of what your government and my government are trying to do together.  We are friends.  We plan on going into the future together side by side as partners and as peers and any movie or anything else that will try to paint a different picture in a way that would harm the relationship between our countries is unfortunate.

QUESTION:  Iraq is not the only problem around Turkey.  We also talk about Iran in the recent days.  There are several comments that there will be limited attack on Iran from the US.  First of all, do you have such a plan?  Are you planning in the short term to attack Iran?  Maybe a limited air attack?  Are there such plans?  And a follow up question, do you have any request from the Turkish Government, Turkish security forces, from Turkish army concerning your plans for Iran?

GENERAL PACE:  We have had open dialogue with counterparts.  General Ozkok and I talk to each other frequently.  We share ideas and thoughts about many parts of the world.  So it would be normal to have an open dialogue with our friends here.  Iran is a long way from needing some kind of military solution.  There are many, many things that can be done diplomatically.  The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and other countries, certainly the Turkish Government, are all working to persuade the Iranian Government to function in a way that is not dangerous or threatening to its neighbors, to have power but not nuclear weapons-type power.  There are many more things to be done politically and diplomatically before anybody, any country, considers some kind of a military option.

QUESTION:  Did you have any requests from the Turkish Government, from the Turkish army in this stage concerning Iran?

GENERAL PACE:  You mean have we asked for anything?

QUESTION:  Yes.  Because there are press reports that you were asking for or you will ask for the use of some military bases in Turkey for Iran.

GENERAL PACE:  No, we have not asked for that.  As I said there is much, much more to be done diplomatically before we even think about some kind of military option.

QUESTION:  We can talk about Iran and Iraq.  But on the other hand, there are also problems with Syria.  How about your opinions about Syria?  Is it still a troublemaker country in this area?

GENERAL PACE:  Well I know that Turkey has a special relationship with Syria and that your government has been very helpful in trying to maintain balance in the approach that the Syrian Government takes.  We have had problems in Iraq especially from Syria with terrorists transiting Syrian territory going across the Syrian border into Iraq.  So there is more in our opinion that the Syrian Government can do to show its goodwill toward its neighbors and toward the United States.

QUESTION:  We keep talking about three countries, the neighboring countries of Turkey -- Iran, Iraq and Syria.  And Turkey has special ties with these countries form the history and we have relatives in those countries.  Can you elaborate on your expectations from Turkey to make the relations of US with those countries better?  Do you have any expectations?  If you have, what are they?

GENERAL PACE:  The word “expectation” in English doesn’t translate the way that I would characterize what we are thinking about the Turkish Government.  Turkey is a sovereign nation.  You will do what you know is best for yourselves and your neighbors.  We know that Turkey does have a special relationship.  We know that your intent is to have a peaceful neighborhood, so to speak.  We are supportive of Turkey’s interchange with your neighboring countries in all the ways that you are trying to help maintain peace.  Expectations, no; understanding of Turkey’s special relationships, you bet.

QUESTION:  I have a question about Cyprus.  There is still a problem unsolved on the island.  How does that influence the stability in the eastern part of Mediterranean Sea according to you?

GENERAL PACE:  We support the UN processes ongoing.   We applaud all that Turkey has done and the Turkish Cypriots to try to make the accommodations so that Cyprus can be resolved peacefully.  I am optimistic that that will take place and we will remain supportive of Turkey as you move forward on that. 

QUESTION:  General Pace, there are some press reports that the US army is planning to move a part of NATO forces from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea in the frame of the fight against terrorism.  And there are also comments that Ankara and Moscow are “irritated” by this attempt.  How do you evaluate this?

GENERAL PACE:  First of all, we have been operating in the Black Sea for many years.  Any future possible exercises in the Black Sea will be temporary in nature as have been all the past exercises.  We are completely transparent with Turkish military counterparts.  The Turkish navy has a very special relationship with the Black Sea, of course, and a special relationship with our navy. Military to military we understand each other – we know exactly what we’re doing. We’re very comfortable. Your military is comfortable. It’s just a normal exercise. No special changing of balance.

QUESTION: Can we talk about Turkish-American relations in general. Some experts are using the definition of strategic partnership. Some other people are using other definitions. How do you evaluate Turkish-American relations in general?

GENERAL PACE: I judge them as critical to the health of the United States and critical to the health of Turkey. They are very solid and they have been for years. They will continue to be. It is an important relationship for my country and I know that it is for yours as well.

Thank you.