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Opening Remarks from Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, director, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Communications Division.

Good afternoon and A-Salaam A-layQoom.

I am joined today by Brigadier General Jeffrey Dorko, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division.  General Dorko will discuss current GRD projects and capacity building, a critical component of improving Iraq’s infrastructure.  I will provide a brief update of continued operations against al-Qaeda here in Iraq and will then turn the remainder of the time over to General Dorko, and of course as always, we will be happy to take your questions.

Three terrorists recently killed during two Coalition Force operations have been positively identified.  The AQI Emir for Samarra was killed on November 12th,   and both the AQI Emir of Kirkuk and the lead perpetrator of that city’s car bombing network were killed on November 21st.   We would like to point out that both the Emir of Samarra and the Emir of Kirkuk had been replacements for AQI leaders that had been killed this past August. 

Abu Tiba, also known as Talal Abd al Aziz or Captain Talal, was the leader of the AQI network operating in Samarra.  Abu Tiba assumed command of the network after the previous leader, Haythim Sabah al-Badri, was promoted to oversee terrorist operations in the Salah ad Din province.  Al-Badri was killed during a Coalition Force operation east of Samarra August 2nd.

Tiba was involved in extortion, kidnapping, planting improvised explosive devices, the movement of foreign terrorists, and conducting attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.  Tiba was killed during an operation east of Samarra November 12th.  Coalition Forces were targeting an al Qaeda headquarters believed to be used as a safe house for foreign terrorists.  As the ground forces entered the target building, Tiba reached for a suicide vest and was killed before he could detonate the vest.

Abu Harith, also known as Abu Tariq, has been a long time al Qaeda in Iraq leader, most recently operating as the Emir of the AQI network in Kirkuk.   Abu Harith replaced Hajji Qasem as the AQI leader in Kirkuk when Qasem was killed by Coalition Forces August 28th.

Abu Nahr was also a leader in the AQI network in Kirkuk.  He was believed to be Abu Harith’s deputy, a leader in the Kirkuk car bombing network, and was responsible for coordinating numerous attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.

Harith and Nahr were both killed during an operation North of Hawija on November 21st.  The ground forces killed both when they did not comply with orders and attempted to draw their weapons. 

As you can clearly see, AQI retains the capacity to replace leaders killed or captured by Iraqi and Coalition Forces as we’ve also seen with the Emirs of Tarmiyah, Mosul, Baghad, and other areas.

However, our success against AQI leadership is placing strains at the top, restricting their freedom to maneuver, forcing al-Qaeda members to constantly be in a survival mode vice planning their next attack, and has clearly eroded the experience level at the senior levels of al-Qaeda’s various networks.

Concerned local citizens are playing an ever increasing role in countering al-Qaeda in Iraq’s overall capability to conduct effective operations.

Now 77,000 strong, these brave Iraqis, once terrorized and intimidated by al-Qaeda and other insurgents, are volunteering to support security in their neighborhoods.  The volunteers receive basic training, and then patrol their neighborhoods and man checkpoints.

The role of the “awakening” groups has had an enormous effect on the security environment and will help to bridge the gap, while the Iraqi Security Forces steadily grow in numbers and capability to one day take over this responsibility throughout all of Iraq.

And finally, working in cooperation with the security forces are the brave engineers who are committed to re-building and improving Iraq’s infrastructure.  We reported last week that the Qayyarah Bridge had been destroyed by an AQI truck bomb.  The bridge, which spans the TigrisRiver in Iraq’s Nineveh Province, was repaired and opened to traffic just three days after the explosion.

Working through the night, Iraqi and Coalition Forces Engineers repaired the span in just over 12 hours.  The bridge, which is more than 400 meters in length, is a major part of the economic and social infrastructure in the province.  It also serves to connect the main routes between Mosul in the north and Baghdad to the south. 

Here to talk to you today about the increasing capacity of Iraq’s infrastructure and the role the Gulf Region Division is playing in helping Iraq recover from four plus years of war is it’s Commander, Brigadier General Jeffrey Dorko.

General Dorko . . .

Key Themes:

 •           AQI currently retains the capacity to replace leaders killed or captured.  However, CF/ISF keep AQI involved with replacing their leaders rather than planning future attacks.  We are also training and helping volunteers assist in crucial areas where either CF or ISF are unable or do not have enough troops to secure an area. 

•           Sustaining and improving health and services around Iraq.  There are 142 health care centers currently being renovated or completed by GRD.  GRD is also providing training in both use and maintenance of the systems which are being turned over to the Iraqi people so that they will be used for years and generations to come.  There have been over 470 contacts given to Iraqi women and over 100,400 people employed by the health care programs in Iraq. 

•           There have been improvements in the electrical services for the people of Iraq, though there are still questions regarding the dispersal of power to certain areas.  There is currently a three tier approach to the power distribution; first, essential services, i.e. hospitals, second, critical areas, and third, to residences and businesses.  An increase in demand has also caused the considerable increase in power output to not be easily seen. 

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