Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
CNN
March 23, 2008
Late Edition (CNN), 11:00 AM
GLORIA BORGER: The Iraq War entered year six this week with President Bush vigorously defending the 2003 invasion. Both Democratic presidential candidates promising to end the war, and the Republican presidential nominee talking up the success of the so-called surge.
But the U.S. presidential election is putting renewed pressure on Iraqi leaders to meet key political goals. A short while ago I spoke with Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BORGER: Dr. al-Rubaie, thanks so much for being with us this morning. As you know, this week marked the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. And it's a war that a majority of Americans oppose.
And according to our recent CNN poll, 61 percent of Americans believe that the next president should remove most troops within a few months, and 33 percent say we should keep the same number of troops there.
Now you are Iraq's national security adviser, what would you say to Americans and to the Democratic presidential candidates who want to move those troops out very quickly?
MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I believe it has to be based on the conditions on the ground. It depends on the development and the growth and the equipment and the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, and the preparedness of the Iraqi security forces.
It also has to do depend on the security condition on the ground. What does Al Qaida plan in Iraq? And are they going to continue taking on the coalition and the government of Iraq or not? Are they trying to drive the coalition and destroy the nascent democracy in Iraq or what?
These are -- things have to be studied on the ground. And I think this should not be a purely political decision. It should be also a technical, military and intelligence decision.
BORGER: Well, as you know, next month General Petraeus is going to come to Washington and testify about what he will recommend. And the word is that he is going to call for a pause in this drawdown. Is that something you support?
AL-RUBAIE: I think General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are going to have a much easier time this time around in Congress, because we have gained a lot of security achievements in the last few months. And with the -- with a lot of political progress as well, we have achieved.
BORGER: Is that a yes for the pause in the drawdown?
AL-RUBAIE: Well, the pause is a technical term, I believe, that is being used. We believe that the drawdown has started. But it has to be linked intimately to the conditions on the ground.
If the conditions on the ground dictate that we have to have a pause, then we will have to have a pause.
BORGER: If the Democrats and Republicans agree on anything in this presidential race, it is that the Iraqis need to start taking some more responsibility for their own future. I want to play with you -- play for you a few statements from all of the top presidential contenders and get your response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): Fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY): I believe the best way to get the Iraqis to move to take responsibility is for us to end their blank check.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ): All of us are frustrated with some of the progress they haven't made, particularly provincial elections. That needs to happen. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BORGER: What is your response?
AL-RUBAIE: I certainly agree. And there is no doubt about it. We are assuming more responsibilities in the provinces. Eight out of the -- well, more than half of the provinces in Iraq are under our control. There are so many legislation. We are passing legislation by -- like packages. And three legislation we are passing in one go. Another legislation is going to be passed. We are assuming more responsibilities.
Most of the military and security operations done on the ground is done by the -- is led by the government -- by the Iraqi security forces, and supported by logistical support by the coalition.
We are taking by the day -- literally by the day and by the week, we are gradually assuming more responsibility. And by the way, we are spending a lot of money on projects in economy and building our Iraqi security forces and doing all sorts of things.
BORGER: What do you say to Americans, though, who are clearly running out of patience with the war in Iraq? How much more time do you think Americans should be willing to give Iraqis?
AL-RUBAIE: Let me tell you something, Gloria. Honestly, this war is well worth fighting. This war, we are talking about war against global terror. This is global terrorism hitting everywhere, and they have chosen Iraq to be a battlefield. And we have to take them on. If we don't prevail, if we don't succeed in this war, then we are doomed forever. And I understand and I sympathize with the treasure, with the money, with the blood you have invested.
But -- and the United States has invested, and the Iraqis have invested three times blood than the Americans in the way of casualties, in the way of spending their treasure and money. So we are not talking about leaving Americans fighting this war on their own. We are with them and we are taking the lead.
But I understand and sympathize with the mothers, with the widows, with the children who have lost their beloved one in this country. But honestly, it is well worth fighting and well worth investing the money and the treasure and the sweat and the tears in Iraq.
BORGER: Well, I want to play for you something that Senator John McCain said in New Hampshire this past January about U.S. presence in Iraq, and then get you to respond to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MCCAIN: Maybe 100. We have been in Japan for 60 years. We have been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me as long as Americans...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that is your...
MCCAIN: As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. Then it's fine with me. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BORGER: So would that be fine with you too, 50, 60 years?
AL-RUBAIE: It depends on the conditions, again. And it depends on the negotiations that we are engaged now between the government of Iraq and the United States government. It depends on the -- we will look on the -- in the battlefront, in the field.
What we need we will keep and we will -- for those -- for the Americans troops we don't need, we say, thank you very much, indeed. A big, big thank you for the United States of America for liberating Iraq, for helping us in sustaining the security gains in Iraq, and thank you very much, and we will give them a very, very good farewell party then.
BORGER: OK. Well, it sounds...
AL-RUBAIE: But it depends on the conditions on the ground. When we -- it is yet to be -- we are -- we cannot declare total victory on Al Qaida now, because Al Qaida is really fatally injured now.
BORGER: So do you think the Democratic...
AL-RUBAIE: And they have sustained a lot of pressure and injuries.
BORGER: So do you think the Democratic presidential candidates...
AL-RUBAIE: But as yet...
BORGER: ... are short-sighted?
AL-RUBAIE: ... we are far from declaring total victory.
BORGER: Do you think the Democratic presidential candidates are short-sighted?
AL-RUBAIE: I don't want to get involved in the election in a foreign country. I don't want to get involved in -- between the Republican and the Democrat at all.
BORGER: OK. Thank you very much, Dr. al-Rubaie. I take it you have no candidate in this race?
(LAUGHTER) AL-RUBAIE: Thank you very much, indeed, Gloria, for having me.
BORGER: Thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE)
March 23, 2008
Late Edition (CNN), 11:00 AM
GLORIA BORGER: The Iraq War entered year six this week with President Bush vigorously defending the 2003 invasion. Both Democratic presidential candidates promising to end the war, and the Republican presidential nominee talking up the success of the so-called surge.
But the U.S. presidential election is putting renewed pressure on Iraqi leaders to meet key political goals. A short while ago I spoke with Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BORGER: Dr. al-Rubaie, thanks so much for being with us this morning. As you know, this week marked the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. And it's a war that a majority of Americans oppose.
And according to our recent CNN poll, 61 percent of Americans believe that the next president should remove most troops within a few months, and 33 percent say we should keep the same number of troops there.
Now you are Iraq's national security adviser, what would you say to Americans and to the Democratic presidential candidates who want to move those troops out very quickly?
MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I believe it has to be based on the conditions on the ground. It depends on the development and the growth and the equipment and the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, and the preparedness of the Iraqi security forces.
It also has to do depend on the security condition on the ground. What does Al Qaida plan in Iraq? And are they going to continue taking on the coalition and the government of Iraq or not? Are they trying to drive the coalition and destroy the nascent democracy in Iraq or what?
These are -- things have to be studied on the ground. And I think this should not be a purely political decision. It should be also a technical, military and intelligence decision.
BORGER: Well, as you know, next month General Petraeus is going to come to Washington and testify about what he will recommend. And the word is that he is going to call for a pause in this drawdown. Is that something you support?
AL-RUBAIE: I think General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are going to have a much easier time this time around in Congress, because we have gained a lot of security achievements in the last few months. And with the -- with a lot of political progress as well, we have achieved.
BORGER: Is that a yes for the pause in the drawdown?
AL-RUBAIE: Well, the pause is a technical term, I believe, that is being used. We believe that the drawdown has started. But it has to be linked intimately to the conditions on the ground.
If the conditions on the ground dictate that we have to have a pause, then we will have to have a pause.
BORGER: If the Democrats and Republicans agree on anything in this presidential race, it is that the Iraqis need to start taking some more responsibility for their own future. I want to play with you -- play for you a few statements from all of the top presidential contenders and get your response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): Fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY): I believe the best way to get the Iraqis to move to take responsibility is for us to end their blank check.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ): All of us are frustrated with some of the progress they haven't made, particularly provincial elections. That needs to happen. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BORGER: What is your response?
AL-RUBAIE: I certainly agree. And there is no doubt about it. We are assuming more responsibilities in the provinces. Eight out of the -- well, more than half of the provinces in Iraq are under our control. There are so many legislation. We are passing legislation by -- like packages. And three legislation we are passing in one go. Another legislation is going to be passed. We are assuming more responsibilities.
Most of the military and security operations done on the ground is done by the -- is led by the government -- by the Iraqi security forces, and supported by logistical support by the coalition.
We are taking by the day -- literally by the day and by the week, we are gradually assuming more responsibility. And by the way, we are spending a lot of money on projects in economy and building our Iraqi security forces and doing all sorts of things.
BORGER: What do you say to Americans, though, who are clearly running out of patience with the war in Iraq? How much more time do you think Americans should be willing to give Iraqis?
AL-RUBAIE: Let me tell you something, Gloria. Honestly, this war is well worth fighting. This war, we are talking about war against global terror. This is global terrorism hitting everywhere, and they have chosen Iraq to be a battlefield. And we have to take them on. If we don't prevail, if we don't succeed in this war, then we are doomed forever. And I understand and I sympathize with the treasure, with the money, with the blood you have invested.
But -- and the United States has invested, and the Iraqis have invested three times blood than the Americans in the way of casualties, in the way of spending their treasure and money. So we are not talking about leaving Americans fighting this war on their own. We are with them and we are taking the lead.
But I understand and sympathize with the mothers, with the widows, with the children who have lost their beloved one in this country. But honestly, it is well worth fighting and well worth investing the money and the treasure and the sweat and the tears in Iraq.
BORGER: Well, I want to play for you something that Senator John McCain said in New Hampshire this past January about U.S. presence in Iraq, and then get you to respond to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MCCAIN: Maybe 100. We have been in Japan for 60 years. We have been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me as long as Americans...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that is your...
MCCAIN: As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. Then it's fine with me. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BORGER: So would that be fine with you too, 50, 60 years?
AL-RUBAIE: It depends on the conditions, again. And it depends on the negotiations that we are engaged now between the government of Iraq and the United States government. It depends on the -- we will look on the -- in the battlefront, in the field.
What we need we will keep and we will -- for those -- for the Americans troops we don't need, we say, thank you very much, indeed. A big, big thank you for the United States of America for liberating Iraq, for helping us in sustaining the security gains in Iraq, and thank you very much, and we will give them a very, very good farewell party then.
BORGER: OK. Well, it sounds...
AL-RUBAIE: But it depends on the conditions on the ground. When we -- it is yet to be -- we are -- we cannot declare total victory on Al Qaida now, because Al Qaida is really fatally injured now.
BORGER: So do you think the Democratic...
AL-RUBAIE: And they have sustained a lot of pressure and injuries.
BORGER: So do you think the Democratic presidential candidates...
AL-RUBAIE: But as yet...
BORGER: ... are short-sighted?
AL-RUBAIE: ... we are far from declaring total victory.
BORGER: Do you think the Democratic presidential candidates are short-sighted?
AL-RUBAIE: I don't want to get involved in the election in a foreign country. I don't want to get involved in -- between the Republican and the Democrat at all.
BORGER: OK. Thank you very much, Dr. al-Rubaie. I take it you have no candidate in this race?
(LAUGHTER) AL-RUBAIE: Thank you very much, indeed, Gloria, for having me.
BORGER: Thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE)