2008 Press Releases
BBC Radio 4 "Today" Interview with Ambassador David M. Satterfield
June 25, 2008
QUESTION: Are you able to answer that very broad question of what the American strategy now is for Iraq?
AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Well, indeed, we can. And it is not so much the American strategy for Iraq, but the support that we offer over time for an Iraq which is standing up, which is emerging as a state, which has laid the beginnings of reconciliation -- absolutely essential to the future of that country -- to take advantage of the security gains that your correspondent discussed, and to see that the country moves forward, based on Iraqi decisions and Iraqi sovereignty, Iraqi responsibility into a future where those fragile and reversible gains, as was noted, become more permanent, more fixed, more stable. That is our strategy.
QUESTION: There is a problem, though, because many people would point to the security gains and how fragile they are, but there have been improvements in security. But the other element of judging whether the surge has been successful is there needs to be progress on the political front. And that has been disappointing, hasn't it?
AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Sarah (Montague), I would challenge that. The security gains of the past 19 months, really since the end of 2006, have been extraordinary. They have been sustained, they continue to improve, despite the tragic spikes in violence that we have witnessed over the last several days, and I have no doubt, we will continue to witness.
But there has been political progress, as well: Movement on setting out the building blocks of reconciliation. It does not mean the goal of reconciliation has been achieved. Far from it. But the process has been started. There are, as we would say, politics emerging now, and that's a healthy thing. People are talking. They are crossing over traditional sectarian or ethnic alliances. They are making compromises. But more must be done.
And a final element not mentioned has to play a part. Iraq is a wealthy country. It has financial resources. It must apply those resources and apply them now to providing jobs for its people, economic opportunity for its people, and, above all, to take away the appeal of militias, of criminal elements who, for too long, have replaced the state in too many areas.
QUESTION: You point to the importance of the Iraqis in developing the situation in Iraq. But what is the role of America? Because there are some people who will look at the political debate going on in America and see, certainly on the Democratic side, claims that -- used to be claims, "Look, the surge and what we're doing in Iraq is not working, we need to pull out," and now it is, "It has worked, let's pull out." And there will be people who say, "Look, America is going to pull out." What do you say to that?
AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Sarah, we want nothing more than to see U.S. forces, to see our combat role progressively diminish to the point that it is no longer necessary, both because of stabilization of security and capacity being built by and in Iraqi forces. And that is the course we very much feel we are on, and the Iraqis are on.
But a precipitate withdrawal would throw into question all that has been sacrificed or all that has been gained over these past 19 months. It is not something that the Iraqis want. It is certainly not something that we think it prudent. But a progressive transfer of responsibility to Iraqis? Absolutely.
QUESTION: I know you're going to loathe setting a time table on that, but what sort of time scale are we definitely looking at?
AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: We have progressively transferred responsibility for security in Iraq's provinces to Iraqi authorities. We stand back, Iraqi forces, Iraqi governance takes the lead in over half of the country. We will do so in Anbar in the next few days. Anbar Province, which was, just a year-and-a-half, two years ago, the most violent, chaotic, disorganized province in the country now is quite stable. That process will continue, Sarah, over the coming months.
We certainly contemplate that, over the next year, Iraq will stand up, will take responsibility for its own security. Will they still need help? Yes. Will there still be a role for U.S. forces? Without question. But that role will progressively transfer and shift to Iraq, as it has been shifting over the past year plus.
QUESTION: Ambassador Satterfield, thank you.
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