|
WASHINGTON D.C. (June 4, 2008) - Positive trends in Iraq can be
attributed to the increasingly successful Iraqi army and the
cooperation of the country's citizens, a senior military official
in Iraq said today.
"For the third week in a row, security incidents in Iraq are at
the lowest levels in some four years," Army Maj. Gen. Kevin
Bergner, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a Baghdad
news conference.
"These numbers reflect fewer attacks on Iraqi civilians, fewer
attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, and fewer attacks on the
government's infrastructure," Bergner said.
Operations from May 15 until yesterday show an increase in the
capability of the Iraq army and the country's other security forces
to take charge, clear neighborhoods and take care of their
citizens, the general said. The Iraqi security forces grew in size
from 400,000 members a year ago to 559,000 in May of this year, he
noted.
Citizen involvement also is playing an important role in the
positive trends, Bergner said. Iraq citizens are providing the
security forces with more tips, and the "Sons of Iraq" - the name
given to citizen-security groups in many communities -- are helping
to provide even more protection on the local level, he noted.
Since May 20, 94 weapons caches have been found, Bergner said.
Iraq and coalition forces and Iraqi police have found hundreds of
pounds of TNT and bomb-making materials, thousands of rounds of
small-arms ammunition, mortars of various sizes and blocks of
explosive materials.
"There is no doubt, though, that extremists retain the ability
to replenish these weapons stocks," Bergner said. "So operations to
pursue and continue the pressure on their networks must be
sustained."
Bergner also clarified what he said was some misinformation
being spread about the strategic framework and status of forces
agreement that is still under negotiation between the United States
and Iraq. He reiterated the position often stated by U.S. officials
up to and including President Bush that "there is absolutely no
plan or any desire for permanent bases in Iraq."
"Multinational Force Iraq is here only at the request of the
government of Iraq, and will only stay at the request of the
sovereign government of Iraq," the general said. "Any agreement on
the presence of forces will also include the necessary coordinating
mechanisms that would further respect Iraq's sovereignty."
|
