WEBVTT

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representation up here with Dr Ali al

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Dabbagh , the Prime Minister

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spokesperson , Ambassador early really

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discussing as you mentioned some

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details with the strategic Framework

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agreement and then I'll discuss some of

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the details of the uh the security

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agreement . And I think that's

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indicative as to the um breadth and

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depth of the strategic partnership

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between the United States and the

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people of Iraq , the government Iraq

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and it is very long ranging and that

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there will be many interim goals which

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we will set and undoubtedly achieved

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and so this will be an ongoing process

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and today we're sort of just giving you

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an update of where we are with with

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respect to some of the intermediate

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milestones and some of the recent

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decisions that have been reached . And

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you all know about a week ago , the

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President outlined some milestones and

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some definitions of mission as we

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operate with regards to the security

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agreement . Uh That agreement has all

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US forces withdrawing from Iraq by the

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end of uh To 2011 , that is

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still our goal and that is what we are

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working toward . He set in place some

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inter immediate objectives and I'll

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talk about decisions that have been

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made so far uh to accomplish those . Um

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as Dr . Ali al Dabbagh stated between

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now in september yeah , we have General

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Odierno has discussed with his

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subordinate commanders and we've done

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analysis of both the U . S . Forces and

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Iraqi forces and we'll be reducing by

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two brigade combat teams here on the

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ground in Iraq will also be reducing a

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number of various enablers enables are

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things such as military police ,

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engineer units , logistical units ,

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transportation units , those things

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that that support and enable the combat

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units . We're also recently completing

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the withdrawal of an F- 16 squadron

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that is not going to be replaced . And

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so by next september we will have

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reduced from 14 brigade combat teams to

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12 brigade combat teams . Again , along

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with the associated enablers . We're

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also gonna be reducing by the

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british brigade down south will return

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back to the UK and not be replaced . So

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what this gives us a total of about

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12,000 us forces reduction and 4000

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British forces reduced as far as total

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end strength goes . Important to note

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that in the process of this , we will

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not leave any seams with regards to

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security General Odierno is working

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with the support of commanders right

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now , we will reposition uh assets

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throughout the country of Iraq . We

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will do this in coordination with the

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Government of Iraq and the Iraqi

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security forces based on the threat

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level at various locations . How we can

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mitigate that , how we can cover those

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areas . This is a model that we have

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followed Previously up until now

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already from the height of the surge

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until now we have reduced our forces by

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over 20% . Uh and in the process of

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that handed over a large number of

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areas to the Iraqi security forces as

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they have increased in capability and

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numbers and at the same time reduced a

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number of violent attacks by 90% . So

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we we know how to do this . This is not

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the first time that we've reduced our

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forces nor is it the first time that we

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moved forces around on the ground . And

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again , all of this is made possible

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because of the dramatic reduction in

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attacks and the increase in the overall

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security here in Iraq . And these were

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all recommendations made by General

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Odierno were taken into account as the

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president went through his analysis to

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determine some of these intermediate

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goals that he laid out last week . In

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addition to that , we have already

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turned over 30 area and facilities to

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the Iraqis uhh By the beginning of

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January and by the end of this month we

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will turn over an additional 44 area

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and facilities . So by the end of March

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we'll have turned over Um 70 for

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facilities operating bases in areas

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that the us had previously been

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occupying and using to conduct

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operations . Will then be under the

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control of the Iraqi government Iraqi

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security forces . And I think with that

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probably best thing is to open up to

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questions to any of US up here . Yes .

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Hi

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um well , the the specific units out

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there , the fourth Brigade of the 82nd

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Airborne Division will be one this

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leaving and then the other brigade

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equivalent are a series of marine

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battalions and units that go with them .

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But again , important to note that as

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we move those forces out , we will then

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readjust forces on the ground to

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mitigate any security concerns

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possible areas , pardon , will any of

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them ? I'm sorry , any of the BCS ,

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will they be from the Mosul area , the

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ones we're focusing on right now or not ?

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Yes . Yeah , yeah .

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Think Back here on 2nd ,

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jeanne , Jungle to journal and this

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questions for Dr Ellie , I actually had

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two questions . Um , one with the

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budget cuts , space , is that going to

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affect the country's um transition to

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improving the Iraqi security forces

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including purchasing equipment and um

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expanding just the number of forces

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themselves . If if that means you may

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actually have to slow down some of

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those plans . And then my second

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question is how the Iraqi government

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feels about its new relationship with

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the US Government with the new

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administration . If there's a concern

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that Iraq is being seen as less

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important than in the past as focus

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turns more to Afghanistan and Pakistan

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and other places and the commitment

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including financial commitment ,

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obviously troop commitments um uh ,

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goes down here in Iraq . Thank you .

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Thank you . Uh huh . I

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want to say that we

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have problems with the budget because

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of the oil . We , the Iraqi government

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and the Council of Representatives are

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trying through by restructuring

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the budget to

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fulfill all our needs . There are

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certain sectors are not going to get

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affected . One of them is the

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purchasing of equipment and the

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expansion of the Iraqi security forces

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because it's a big responsibility ,

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which we have a big responsibility

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which is taking over the security

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responsibility after the american

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forces leaving Iraq and we have to have

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The right and a number of equipment in

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order to be self reliant and self

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sufficient and after 2011

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and of course other sectors as far as

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electrical sector uh sector and we're

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trying to find resources to uh to fund

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the security , electricity , water .

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Those are major sectors and uh

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essential sectors that the Iraqi

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government is focusing on . So it won't

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be affected by the budget as far as our

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relations with the New American

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administration . I think we are

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focusing when when the american

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administration is not focusing anymore

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on Iraq , Iraq is not on the spotlight

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anymore means this is a good thing for

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Iraqi . Iraqis has a sovereign

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government and elected government and

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democrat democratic government that

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working on , on building its

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institution institutions . And I think

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when America is focusing on Afghanistan

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or Pakistan , that means there's a

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problem in Afghanistan and and and I

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think Iraq and uh man and run his own

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responsibilities and I think now we

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need the support of the american forces .

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But at the end of the day , we Iraqis

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and has to rely on themselves to build

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the country