thedrifter
04-22-08, 07:23 AM
Success in Iraq
By Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Frontpage Interview's guest today is Steve Russell, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry. He was a central player in the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein. His unit was featured in Discovery's 'Ace in the Hole' and BBC Panorama's 'Saddam on the Run.' Russell speaks across the US and Canada , rallying the American public to support the troops with victory, not just words.
Russell turned down promotion to colonel and a war college fellowship to Kingston , Canada to retire from the US Army after serving 21 years in Airborne, Light and Mechanized infantry assignments in the Arctic , the desert, the Pacific, in Europe and in the Continental United States. He served more than 7 years overseas and has deployed operationally to Kosovo , Kuwait , Afghanistan and Iraq . He settled his wife and 5 children in Oklahoma and founded Vets for Victory to combat defeatists on the home front and encourage Americans to support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan . Russell travels extensively as an exclusive speaker for Premiere Speaker's Bureau and is a war analyst on radio and television and in the print media. He serves as the Chairman of Vets for Victory.
FP: Steve Russell, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Russell: Thanks for having me.
FP: Tell us your take on the role the liberal media is playing in the war.
Russell: The media can often be viewed as neutral and many of the reporters and photographers I encountered in combat, those brave enough to join us, were pretty fair at getting our story out. That said, that is not true of the editors and producers.
I lost count of the number of times a reporter would come back and apologize for the unfair portrayal of a story or not picking up a well-researched story altogether because it did not fit a certain view of an editor or producer in DC or New York .
Consequently, we have to accept that the media is not as much interested in the success of Americans overseas as they are stirring up conflict at home. I will never understand why they give lots of ink and video to enemy success and American setbacks while doing nothing to encourage Americans at home with real stories of success on the battlefield. To me, it is professionally dishonest and morally reprehensible to ignore legitimate success in the field.
FP: Well, my friend, it's called the leftist agenda and we are very well familiar with what it is. The defeat the anti-war movement spawned in Southeast Asia is one of the most tragic legacies of that agenda. And they are trying to perpetrate it al over again in Iraq .
Can you shed some light on the progress taking place in Iraq on military, political and economic realms?
Russell: Well, as we have seen from Amb. Crocker and Gen Petreaus' testimony to Congress, there is a great deal of success on which to comment.
Sectarian violence is down 70% in Iraq and 95% in Baghdad since June. Overall violence is down to levels prior to 2005. Politically, we have seen PM Maliki take the reigns of power to reign in criminal elements and rogue militias in Basra . While the timing may not have excited the US State Department or the US Military, no one can deny that he is handling internal security issues in Iraq . This would have been unthinkable a year ago.
On the economic front, Iraq paid off $467 US Million in International Monetary Fund debt in December--early. Iraq is now spending its own money for reconstruction at a 5 to 1 rate over US aid.
The Iraqi oil production is steadily rising to prewar levels. Oil revenues are being shared in all provinces while the Iraqi oil tanker fleet has now taken to the seas again for the first time since 1979. These are all very good news stories, not stories of quagmire and disaster.
FP: So we are achieving victory in Iraq ?
Russell: Our soldiers and generals have stated we are winning in Iraq but we have not won. I believe, that without some political intervention in the next two years, we will see Iraq become a viable nation that will only grow stronger.
When we first entered Iraq , we were given very defined objectives as commanders. We were told to:
1) defeat the Iraqi Army,
2) Overthrow the Baathist Regime,
3) Kill or capture Saddam and his henchmen,
4) provide for conditions that allow a new government to form,
and
5) Train a new army and national security force that will keep the new government in power.
Let's look at the scoreboard:
1) Iraqi Army was defeated,
2) Baathist Regime was overthrown,
3) Saddam was captured and hung along with scores of his peers,
4) The new government formed, wrote a constitution, had two national elections with an upcoming third, has a viable economic outlook, and is beginning to handle internal threats on its own.
All but the last one, the security force able to keep the government in power, has been successful. With regard to the last one, a half a million Iraqis now stand in uniform (Police, Army, Civil Defense), to defend their country. While they have not completely succeeded to the point we would want yet, it is clear they have not failed. So that's 4 for 5 with the 5th one in our favor.
It is time we stopped looking at Iraq as an enemy that we can stabilize and then abandon and begin to see them as an ally of 26 million people that we can support in a very unstable part of the world.
FP: What is Iran 's role in Iraq ? Its war against America in Iraq was exposed during the Basra face-off, correct?
Russell: Basra was more an exposure of rogue elements and militias that had long been allowed to fester. Basra was also an exposure of what happens when coalition troops precipitously withdraw, in this case, Great Britain . The fact that Iraq's central government, which some have falsely claimed is in line with Iranian support, acted against Basra sort of flies in the face of that supposed support and also it flies in the face of the accusation that Iraq cannot handle internal threats on its own.
That said, Iran 's sole has been much more apparent in its support of 'special groups' of militias and in the supply of Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) which are the mostly deadly form of IED that our troops face.
FP: What is the National Heroes Tour?
Russell: The National Heroes Tour was put together by Vets for Freedom under the leadership of Pete Hegseth to take the message of some of America 's finest veteran warriors directly to the American public. Much like the bond tours of old, the NHT brought the voice of soldiers who had been fighting at the front and been decorated for valor to bring their own unique perspectives on Iraq and Afghanistan . The tour was immensely successful, resulting in several million Americans hearing the message through television, newsprint, and public speaking events in 14 states across 21 cities. The tour kicked off in San Diego on March 13th and ended in New York City on April 9th. The tour also coincided with 'Vets on the Hill,' an effort to bring Iraq and Afghan vets to the nation's capitol during Gen. Petreaus' testimony.
Over 450 showed up, representing the majority of states in the country and called upon lawmakers in over 300 appointments to tell them we want to win the war rather than pull out. Their voice was heard and the impact was tremendous. It was an honor of mine to participate as a speaker on both the tour and at the hill rally. Whatever else happens this year, we did some good in this last 6 weeks and Americans and soldiers by the thousands have told us they appreciated these efforts.
FP: What advice would you have for the next American administration in our war on terror in general and in Iraq in particular?
Russell: In general terms, we have seen that our greatest national security threats are embodied in Al Qaeda and in Iranian ascendancy in the Middle East . If we accept that, which nearly everyone in both political parties concedes, then where is that threat most prominent if not in Iraq ? Where is it most likely to be confronted and defeated if not in Iraq ?
Osama bin Laden and number 2 sidekick Ayman Zawahiri have repeatedly stated that the struggle for Al Qaeda and the effort to defeat America is in Iraq . Iran 's Amadinijad has repeatedly shown that he does not desire a strong Iraq and has been called out for destablizing it. So any administration needs to understand that this is the line of confrontation in the war on terror and with the rogue national states, such as Iran and Syria , that threaten our security and that we need to focus on. With recent success in Iraq and promise of more, why would we now talk of punting on the 7 yard line with a full set of downs? Our former enemy Iraq will become one of our greatest partners in this struggle, much as former enemy Germany became one of our greatest partners in the struggle against communism.
FP: Steve Russell, thank you for joining Frontpage Interview.
Russell: Thanks for having me. I hope it has been helpful.
Ellie
By Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Frontpage Interview's guest today is Steve Russell, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry. He was a central player in the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein. His unit was featured in Discovery's 'Ace in the Hole' and BBC Panorama's 'Saddam on the Run.' Russell speaks across the US and Canada , rallying the American public to support the troops with victory, not just words.
Russell turned down promotion to colonel and a war college fellowship to Kingston , Canada to retire from the US Army after serving 21 years in Airborne, Light and Mechanized infantry assignments in the Arctic , the desert, the Pacific, in Europe and in the Continental United States. He served more than 7 years overseas and has deployed operationally to Kosovo , Kuwait , Afghanistan and Iraq . He settled his wife and 5 children in Oklahoma and founded Vets for Victory to combat defeatists on the home front and encourage Americans to support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan . Russell travels extensively as an exclusive speaker for Premiere Speaker's Bureau and is a war analyst on radio and television and in the print media. He serves as the Chairman of Vets for Victory.
FP: Steve Russell, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Russell: Thanks for having me.
FP: Tell us your take on the role the liberal media is playing in the war.
Russell: The media can often be viewed as neutral and many of the reporters and photographers I encountered in combat, those brave enough to join us, were pretty fair at getting our story out. That said, that is not true of the editors and producers.
I lost count of the number of times a reporter would come back and apologize for the unfair portrayal of a story or not picking up a well-researched story altogether because it did not fit a certain view of an editor or producer in DC or New York .
Consequently, we have to accept that the media is not as much interested in the success of Americans overseas as they are stirring up conflict at home. I will never understand why they give lots of ink and video to enemy success and American setbacks while doing nothing to encourage Americans at home with real stories of success on the battlefield. To me, it is professionally dishonest and morally reprehensible to ignore legitimate success in the field.
FP: Well, my friend, it's called the leftist agenda and we are very well familiar with what it is. The defeat the anti-war movement spawned in Southeast Asia is one of the most tragic legacies of that agenda. And they are trying to perpetrate it al over again in Iraq .
Can you shed some light on the progress taking place in Iraq on military, political and economic realms?
Russell: Well, as we have seen from Amb. Crocker and Gen Petreaus' testimony to Congress, there is a great deal of success on which to comment.
Sectarian violence is down 70% in Iraq and 95% in Baghdad since June. Overall violence is down to levels prior to 2005. Politically, we have seen PM Maliki take the reigns of power to reign in criminal elements and rogue militias in Basra . While the timing may not have excited the US State Department or the US Military, no one can deny that he is handling internal security issues in Iraq . This would have been unthinkable a year ago.
On the economic front, Iraq paid off $467 US Million in International Monetary Fund debt in December--early. Iraq is now spending its own money for reconstruction at a 5 to 1 rate over US aid.
The Iraqi oil production is steadily rising to prewar levels. Oil revenues are being shared in all provinces while the Iraqi oil tanker fleet has now taken to the seas again for the first time since 1979. These are all very good news stories, not stories of quagmire and disaster.
FP: So we are achieving victory in Iraq ?
Russell: Our soldiers and generals have stated we are winning in Iraq but we have not won. I believe, that without some political intervention in the next two years, we will see Iraq become a viable nation that will only grow stronger.
When we first entered Iraq , we were given very defined objectives as commanders. We were told to:
1) defeat the Iraqi Army,
2) Overthrow the Baathist Regime,
3) Kill or capture Saddam and his henchmen,
4) provide for conditions that allow a new government to form,
and
5) Train a new army and national security force that will keep the new government in power.
Let's look at the scoreboard:
1) Iraqi Army was defeated,
2) Baathist Regime was overthrown,
3) Saddam was captured and hung along with scores of his peers,
4) The new government formed, wrote a constitution, had two national elections with an upcoming third, has a viable economic outlook, and is beginning to handle internal threats on its own.
All but the last one, the security force able to keep the government in power, has been successful. With regard to the last one, a half a million Iraqis now stand in uniform (Police, Army, Civil Defense), to defend their country. While they have not completely succeeded to the point we would want yet, it is clear they have not failed. So that's 4 for 5 with the 5th one in our favor.
It is time we stopped looking at Iraq as an enemy that we can stabilize and then abandon and begin to see them as an ally of 26 million people that we can support in a very unstable part of the world.
FP: What is Iran 's role in Iraq ? Its war against America in Iraq was exposed during the Basra face-off, correct?
Russell: Basra was more an exposure of rogue elements and militias that had long been allowed to fester. Basra was also an exposure of what happens when coalition troops precipitously withdraw, in this case, Great Britain . The fact that Iraq's central government, which some have falsely claimed is in line with Iranian support, acted against Basra sort of flies in the face of that supposed support and also it flies in the face of the accusation that Iraq cannot handle internal threats on its own.
That said, Iran 's sole has been much more apparent in its support of 'special groups' of militias and in the supply of Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) which are the mostly deadly form of IED that our troops face.
FP: What is the National Heroes Tour?
Russell: The National Heroes Tour was put together by Vets for Freedom under the leadership of Pete Hegseth to take the message of some of America 's finest veteran warriors directly to the American public. Much like the bond tours of old, the NHT brought the voice of soldiers who had been fighting at the front and been decorated for valor to bring their own unique perspectives on Iraq and Afghanistan . The tour was immensely successful, resulting in several million Americans hearing the message through television, newsprint, and public speaking events in 14 states across 21 cities. The tour kicked off in San Diego on March 13th and ended in New York City on April 9th. The tour also coincided with 'Vets on the Hill,' an effort to bring Iraq and Afghan vets to the nation's capitol during Gen. Petreaus' testimony.
Over 450 showed up, representing the majority of states in the country and called upon lawmakers in over 300 appointments to tell them we want to win the war rather than pull out. Their voice was heard and the impact was tremendous. It was an honor of mine to participate as a speaker on both the tour and at the hill rally. Whatever else happens this year, we did some good in this last 6 weeks and Americans and soldiers by the thousands have told us they appreciated these efforts.
FP: What advice would you have for the next American administration in our war on terror in general and in Iraq in particular?
Russell: In general terms, we have seen that our greatest national security threats are embodied in Al Qaeda and in Iranian ascendancy in the Middle East . If we accept that, which nearly everyone in both political parties concedes, then where is that threat most prominent if not in Iraq ? Where is it most likely to be confronted and defeated if not in Iraq ?
Osama bin Laden and number 2 sidekick Ayman Zawahiri have repeatedly stated that the struggle for Al Qaeda and the effort to defeat America is in Iraq . Iran 's Amadinijad has repeatedly shown that he does not desire a strong Iraq and has been called out for destablizing it. So any administration needs to understand that this is the line of confrontation in the war on terror and with the rogue national states, such as Iran and Syria , that threaten our security and that we need to focus on. With recent success in Iraq and promise of more, why would we now talk of punting on the 7 yard line with a full set of downs? Our former enemy Iraq will become one of our greatest partners in this struggle, much as former enemy Germany became one of our greatest partners in the struggle against communism.
FP: Steve Russell, thank you for joining Frontpage Interview.
Russell: Thanks for having me. I hope it has been helpful.
Ellie