November 30, 2005

I generally believe broad assessments of progress with Iraqi security forces, but Rumsfeld continues to peddle half truths to an impatient American people.

Consider the progress of the Iraqi security forces over the past year. In August 2004, five Iraqi army battalions were effectively in the fight. Today the number is 95. In July 2004, there were no ready operational Iraqi army divisions or brigade headquarters. Today there are at least seven operational divisions and 31 operational brigade headquarters.

In July of 2004 there were no ready special police commando, public order or mechanized police battalions under the Ministry of Interior. Today there are 28 such battalions conducting operations.

And last year there were about 96,000 fully trained and equipped Iraqi security forces. And today there are over 212,000 trained and equipped security forces.
[News Briefing with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace - Transcript - 11-29-05]

Just a couple of months ago (September), General George Casey told Congress the unvarnished truth that there is only one battalion that can stand up without being propped up (emphasis added). In fact, Gen. Casey said the opposite of Rumsfeld, asserting "Level 1" readiness among Iraqi forces had decreased over the past few months.

The number of the Iraqi army's 86 battalions that can fight insurgents without U.S. and coalition help has dropped from three to one, top U.S. generals told Congress on Thursday, adding that the security situation in Iraq is too uncertain to predict large-scale American troop withdrawals anytime soon. Gen. George Casey, who oversees U.S. forces in Iraq, said there are fewer Iraqi battalions at "Level 1" readiness than there were a few months ago.
[Just 1 Iraqi battalion fit to fight insurgents - Washington Post - 09-30-05]

UPDATE 3:17pm: Andrew Sullivan points to an exchange deeper in the transcript provided above that shows General Pace correcting Rumsfeld on torture while standing at the same podium.

QUESTION: And General Pace, what guidance do you have for your military commanders over there as to what to do if -- like when General Horst found this Interior Ministry jail [where evidenceof toeture was widespread]?

GEN. PACE: It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene to stop it. As an example of how to do it if you don't see it happening but you're told about it is exactly what happened a couple weeks ago. There's a report from an Iraqi to a U.S. commander that there was possibility of inhumane treatment in a particular facility. That U.S. commander got together with his Iraqi counterparts. They went together to the facility, found what they found, reported it to the Iraqi government, and the Iraqi government has taken ownership of that problem and is investigating it. So they did exactly what they should have done.

SEC. RUMSFELD: But I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it's to report it.

GEN. PACE: If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it.
[News Briefing with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace - Transcript - 11-29-05]