Lt. Gen. David Petraeus GS '85 '87, who served until recently as head of the U.S. military command responsible for training Iraqi military, spoke Saturday about the importance of setting up independent Iraqi security forces and emphasized that there is still much work to be done.
Before a packed McCosh 50, Petraeus, who commanded both the Multinational Security Transition Command and the NATO training mission in Iraq, gave a presentation outlining the current situation in Iraq.
"Iraqi security forces are in the fight — the Iraqi lead and Iraqi coalition force backup are the keys," he said.
There are currently 115 Iraqi military battalions, Petraeus said, 16 of which emerged over the course of one year. The ministries of interior and defense forces have trained and equipped a total of 194,622 Iraqis.
"What they have done is extremely remarkable," Petraeus said, "but again, [it's] very much a work in progress." He acknowledged obstacles, including casualties, Iraqi officers dropping out and police brigades crumbling in some areas.
Only one of the 115 battalions has reached the first level of "Iraqi security force unit capability," which is the most independent an Iraqi security force can be from the coalition, he said. The other battalions are at lower, more dependent levels.
What needs to be done now, Petraeus said, is organize, equip, rebuild, mentor, train and help Iraqis.
He emphasized the last point, using the notion of "training [a man] to fish, rather than giving him a fish."
His goals for the future include continuing force training, infrastructure repair and construction and a transition to Iraqi control.
Petraeus' goals are not only military; his presentation indicated that training is also being provided in the areas of professional development and education, combat support courses and special police courses.
He urged members of the audience, regardless of their views on Iraq, to support the soldiers.
Acknowledging that some soldiers have acted unjustly, he said, "For each trooper who failed to live up to standards, there are hundreds more."
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