STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO BAGHDAD, ERBIL TO DISCUSS HUMAN RIGHTS WITH IRAQI OFFICIALS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Readout of Assistant Secretary Tom Malinowski and Ambassador David Saperstein's Travel to Baghdad and Erbil, Iraq
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 17, 2015

Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski and Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein met with Iraqi government leaders, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and civil society activists, including representatives of Iraq’s religious and ethnic minority communities, students, journalists, and residents of a camp for internally displaced persons in Iraq February 8-11. Their visit highlighted the importance of promoting human rights in the fight against ISIL.

Assistant Secretary Malinowski said that the United States will continue to stand with Iraqis in their fight against ISIL. He also underscored the importance of inclusive governance, respect for human rights, and protection of civil society, including Iraq’s diverse religious communities, to fully defeat ISIL’s divisive ideology and prevent its creed of hatred from emerging in another form after ISIL is defeated on the battlefield.

In meetings with Iraqi government officials, including the Ministers of Human Rights and Women’s Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Interior, and Kurdistan Ministers of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Peshmerga, Assistant Secretary Malinowski and Ambassador Saperstein expressed their concerns about allegations of human rights abuses by militias in Iraq. Assistant Secretary Malinowski stressed the importance of accountability for these alleged abuses and security for civilian populations, to avoid reinforcing the sectarian divisions that facilitated ISIL’s rise in the first place. Assistant Secretary Malinowski and Ambassador Saperstein also raised concerns regarding the need to protect all civilians from harm and urged the Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to do everything possible to rescue women captives whom ISIL holds and abuses.

Members of Iraq’s minority communities, including Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako and Yezidi, Sabean-Mandaean, Shabak, and Kakai leaders, described the need for inter-faith dialogue and reform of school curricula to promote understanding and conflict resolution, promote religious freedom, and to reduce sectarianism. Those displaced from the Ninewa plains area expressed fear to return to their historic homelands, and stressed the need for security, employment and education opportunities, and conflict resolution. Malinowski pressed them to avoid taking revenge against former neighbors suspected of collusion with ISIL, and Ambassador Saperstein pledged U.S. commitment to helping them return to their homelands and to meeting the needs of the displaced.

Assistant Secretary Malinowski also delivered remarks before the Middle East Research Institute in Erbil, Iraq where he thanked the people of Kurdistan for their generosity in opening their homes to the vast influx of the internally displaced, who now represent almost a third of the Kurdistan region’s population. He said that the United States stands with all people of Iraq to degrade and defeat ISIL, but highlighted that the stabilization of Iraq afterwards must be Iraqi-led and that protection of human rights and freedom of expression is a strategic component of that reconstruction as well as the defeat of ISIL.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL THANKS TROOPS IN BAGHDAD

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel addresses service members during a visit to Baghdad, Dec. 9, 2014. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.  

In Iraq, Hagel Praises Troops’ Commitment, Service, Sacrifice
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jake Richmond
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked service members in Baghdad yesterday and told them they are “doing something very, very special that very few people in life ever can do.”

Hagel said the world is going through an incredible time of redefinition, but that the one constant that always determines outcomes of everything is service, sacrifice, leadership and commitment.

“Your commitment and your service and your sacrifice to what you believe is something that should be recognized [and] acknowledged,” he said.

Being separated from family is another part of the sacrifice made by service members, Hagel said, which is especially difficult during the holidays. He asked the troops to thank their family members on his behalf.
‘Defined by the End Game’

The secretary told the troops in attendance –- who included Americans and Australians -- that he knows they believe they’re just doing their jobs. But he reminded them that their service will make a “such a difference” in the future.
“I think when you look out over the long sweep of history -– and certainly we’ve had an interesting last 13 years in the world -- it’s always determined by not just the day-to-day developments or battles, but it’s always determined by the will and commitment of the people,” the secretary said. “And we, being the United States and our coalition partners, including Australia, are countries that have played important roles in history to help other countries and help other people.”
Hagel said such efforts are “always defined by the end game,” which he described as the determination of whether a country can be free to defend itself, support itself, and provide its people peace, prosperity and opportunity. However, the inclusiveness of an Iraqi government that its people can join and trust is essential, Hagel said.

“It is their country,” Hagel said. “They have to lead. They are the ones that are going to have to be responsible for end results. We can help, we can train, we can assist, we can advise, and we’re doing that.”

4 FORMER BLACKWATER SECURITY GUARDS FOUND GUILTY FOR ROLES IN NISUR SQUARE SHOOTING IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S.  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Four Former Blackwater Employees Found Guilty of Charges in Fatal Nisur Square Shooting in Iraq

Four former security guards for Blackwater USA were found guilty of charges stemming from the Sept. 16, 2007, shooting at Nisur Square in Baghdad, Iraq, that resulted in the killing of 14 unarmed civilians and the wounding of numerous others.

The jury verdicts, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

The defendants include Nicholas Abram Slatten, 30, of Sparta, Tenn.; Paul Alvin Slough, 35, of Keller, Texas; Evan Shawn Liberty, 32, of Rochester, N.H.; and Dustin Laurent Heard, 33, of Maryville, Tenn. Slatten, who was accused of firing the first shots, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder. Slough was found guilty of 13 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 17 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense. Liberty was found guilty of eight counts of voluntary manslaughter, 12 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense. Heard was found guilty of six counts of voluntary manslaughter, 11 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense.

“This verdict is a resounding affirmation of the commitment of the American people to the rule of law, even in times of war,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “Seven years ago, these Blackwater contractors unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine guns, and grenade launchers on innocent men, women, and children. Today they were held accountable for that outrageous attack and its devastating consequences for so many Iraqi families. I pray that this verdict will bring some sense of comfort to the survivors of that massacre. I want to thank the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who have fought for the past seven years to bring justice to the memories of those who were gunned down in Nisur Square.”

“Today’s verdict demonstrates the FBI's dedication to investigating violations of U.S. law no matter where they occur,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “International investigations such as this one are very complex and frequently dangerous. This case took a tremendous amount of coordination to bring over a large number of foreign witnesses in support of this prosecution. I commend the FBI Special Agents, Task Force Officers, Intelligence Analysts and Language Specialists and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for working to bring those responsible to justice and conveying some measure of comfort to the victims’ families in Iraq.”

The verdicts came on the 28th day of jury deliberations and followed more than two months of trial. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered that the four defendants be detained pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The murder charge against Slatten calls for a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Each of the voluntary manslaughter counts against the other defendants carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Each of the attempted manslaughter counts carries a statutory maximum of seven years of incarceration. The weapons offense carries a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.

Another Blackwater security guard, Jeremy P. Ridgeway, pled guilty in December 2008 to voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter. Ridgeway, who testified as a government witness in the trial, has not yet been sentenced.

The defendants worked for Blackwater USA, a private security contractor that was paid by the U.S. government to provide protective services to U.S. officials.

The trial began June 17, 2014. Over the next 10 weeks, the government presented testimony from 71 witnesses, including 30 from Iraq. This represented the largest group of foreign witnesses ever to travel to the United States for a criminal trial. The witnesses included 13 people who were wounded in the shootings, as well as relatives of many of those who died. The government’s witnesses also included nine members of “Raven 23,” the Blackwater team that was on the scene on the day of the shootings.

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately noon on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, several Blackwater security contractors, including the four defendants, opened fire in and around Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle in the heart of Baghdad. When they stopped shooting, 14 Iraqi civilians were dead. Those killed included 10 men, two women, and two boys, ages 9 and 11. Another 18 victims were injured.

The four defendants and 15 other Blackwater security contractors were assigned to a convoy of four heavily-armed trucks known as a Tactical Support Team, using the call sign “Raven 23.” Shortly before noon, Raven 23 learned that a car bomb had detonated in central Baghdad near a location where a U.S official was being escorted by a Blackwater personal security detail team. Raven 23 team members promptly reported to their convoy vehicles, and the convoy drove to a secured checkpoint between the Green Zone and Red Zone.

Once there, in disregard of an order from Blackwater’s command, the team’s shift leader directed Raven 23 to leave the Green Zone and establish a blockade in Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle that was immediately adjacent to the Green Zone. While occupying the southern part of the traffic circle, seven of the 19 members of Raven 23, including the four defendants and Ridgeway, fired their weapons, resulting in the deaths or injury of the unarmed Iraqi civilians there. While leaving the traffic circle, Slough continued to fire his weapon, resulting in additional deaths and injuries.

Finally, further away, north of the traffic circle, Slough and Ridgeway again fired their weapons, resulting in the injury of three more unarmed Iraqi civilians.

The first to be killed was Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia’y, 21, an aspiring doctor, who was driving his mother to an appointment. His mother, Mahassin Mohssen Kadhum Al-Khazali, 44, a medical doctor, also was killed. Others who died included Ali Mohammed Hafedh Abdul Razzaq, 9, who was traveling with his family; Osama Fadhil Abbas, 52, a businessman who sold used cars and who was enroute to a business meeting; Mohamed Abbas Mahmoud, 47, a delivery truck driver, and his 11-year-old son, Qasim Mohamed Abbas Mahmoud; Sa’adi Ali Abbas Alkarkh, 52, a businessman; Mushtaq Karim Abd Al-Razzaq, 18, an Iraqi soldier who was standing at a military checkpoint; Ghaniyah Hassan Ali, 55, who was traveling with her daughter on a public bus, and who was in the area to get documentation for a trip to holy sites; Ibrahim Abid Ayash, 77, a gardener, who was traveling in another bus; Hamoud Sa’eed Abttan, 33, and his cousin, Usday Ismail Ibrahiem, 27, who were out looking for work with the Iraqi Army; Mahdi Sahib Nasir, 26, a taxi driver, and Ali Khalil Abdul Hussein, 54, a motorcyclist who was commuting to work.

The jury considered charges involving injuries to 14 men and three women. Because of travel issues, witnesses to support an 18th charge of attempted manslaughter did not appear at the trial, and the charge related to that victim’s injuries was dismissed by the government.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi National Police provided cooperation and assistance in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion, John Crabb, Jr., Christopher R. Kavanaugh, T. Patrick Martin, and David Mudd, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was originally indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan M. Malis and Kenneth Kohl.

SECRETARY KERRY'S PRESS AVAILABILITY IN BAGHDAD, IRAQ ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Press Availability in Baghdad, Iraq

Press Availability

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Embassy Baghdad

Baghdad, Iraq

September 10, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Let me apologize up front for, number one, being a little late, but two, because we’re running a little late and I have an important meeting in Amman, we’re going to have to be a little bit curtailed on the questions, and I apologize for that.

I really am delighted to be here today in Baghdad on the heels of such an important moment for the Iraqi people just one day after they have completed a very critical and very difficult task of forming a government. And the fact that the Iraqis were able to overcome such deep sectarian and ethnic divides and approve a new and inclusive government is really a great accomplishment.

They were able to do this – the fact that they were able to do this peacefully in the midst of unspeakable terror and violence and bloodshed is nothing short of historic. And it’s a true signal that Iraq and the leaders they have chosen are committed at this moment to the democratic future that so many Iraqis have sacrificed everything to bring about.

Obviously, the hard work is very far from over. We all know that. In many ways, it’s just beginning. Establishing a government doesn’t mean a lot if it is not able to govern effectively or doesn’t govern inclusively, and it particularly needs to govern inclusively in order to represent the interests of all the Iraqi people.

I was encouraged – very encouraged, as a matter of fact, because I’ve been here many times in many meetings, and I have never in any of those meetings seen a unanimity, without compliant, of a sense of direction and commitment to the concept of inclusivity and of addressing the unaddressed issues of the last eight years or more. I was encouraged by the commitment that I heard from all of the leaders that I met with today, but a particular clarity from Prime Minister Abadi, from President Masum, and from Speaker Jabouri.

Each of them restated their deep commitment to coming together in order to solve the immediate problems of inclusivity, of oil, of federalism, of the budget, of de-Baathification – all of those issues that have confounded Iraq for these past years and divided it. They understand the road traveled, and they understand the road they want to travel, and they don’t want to go backwards.

They all stated their commitment to the national plan, and that plan was developed specifically to address these longstanding grievances that have been an obstacle to Iraq’s prosperity and security for far too long, including, I might add, issues with respect to their security forces, the nature of those security forces, the makeup of those security forces, the inclusivity of those forces itself, the regional autonomy issues, the devolution of power, questions of the constitution, and particularly the allocation of Iraq’s budget.

The national plan also calls for the establishment of locally rooted security structures that are directly integrated into the Iraqi security forces. This national guard, as it has been called, will protect the population of Iraqi cities and towns, and it will also deny space for ISIL. As it does that, it is going to be the key to guaranteeing that Iraq’s territorial integrity can be kept intact and, in fact, unthreatened.

I was also encouraged to learn today that Prime Minister Abadi is very focused on this national guard and plans to accelerate its formulation during his first cabinet meeting this week. The United States is prepared to provide technical advice and assistance in order to help the Iraqis move this very important initiative forward. Now, implementing the national plan effectively is going to require patience and it’s going to require further compromise. But it’s the only way that Iraq has any hope of actually securing the effective, inclusive government that the Iraqi people demand and deserve.

Today, President Obama asked me to come here not just to build a coalition, not just to talk to the Iraqis about the road forward here at this moment, but also to underscore to the people of Iraq that the United States will stand by them in this effort. We stand by Iraq as it continues to build a government that meets the needs of each of Iraq’s diverse communities, and we stand by them as they fight to overcome the single greatest threat that their government, their families, and their neighbors face today, and that’s ISIL.

ISIL claims to be fighting on behalf of Islam, but the fact is that its hateful ideology has nothing to do with Islam. ISIL is a manifestation of evil, a vicious terrorist organization, and it is an organization that achieves its goals only through violence, repression, and destruction. Fed by illicit funding and a stream of foreign fighters, it has seized territory and terrorized the people who live there regardless of their sect or ethnicity. There is literally no place for their barbarity in the modern world. And this is a fight that the Iraqi people must win, but it’s also a fight that the rest of the world needs to win with them. And it’s a fight the United States and the rest of the world need to support every single step of the way.

As President Obama has made clear from the beginning, a new and inclusive Iraqi Government has to be the engine of our global strategy against ISIL. And now that the Iraqi parliament has approved a new cabinet with new leaders and representation from all Iraqi communities, it’s full speed ahead. And President Obama a few hours from now will lay out his strategy for taking America, Iraq, the region, and the world forward with respect to this challenge. We need to continue to drive this strategy over these next days with intensity.

Already, we and nearly 40 other countries, even as I speak now, are already contributing military, humanitarian, and other assistance to aid the campaign against ISIL. And to date, with the help of our international partners, the United States has launched more than 150 airstrikes in order to weaken ISIL and protect the innocent people that it seeks to harm, and also to specifically help to break the siege in Amirli, to help to break the siege at the Mosul Dam and at Sinjar Mountain, with success in each of those instances.

In addition, together with willing allies, the international community has dropped – airdropped food and medical supplies to Iraqi families, including the 1.8 million people who have been displaced due to ISIL’s brutality. And today I can tell you that we’ll be providing another $48 million to UN agencies, other international organizations, and NGOs that are working tirelessly to save lives and to alleviate suffering.

When the world hears from President Obama this evening, he will lay out with great specificity each component of a broad strategy in order to deal with ISIL. And in the days ahead I will be meeting with leaders from across the region and beyond in order to discuss how can we best build on the work that has already been done and to assemble the broadest possible coalition for this fight.

Nearly every country on Earth could have an ability and an interest to join in this effort, whether by providing military assistance, by helping to track and stop the flow of foreign fighters, helping to track and stop the flow of money. All of these are things that sustain ISIL’s terrorism, and all of them are things that are subject to impact by other countries in the world. Also, those countries – many others, particularly in the Muslim world, can join together in defining the real Islam and making it clear that there is no legitimacy whatsoever within ISIL for any of the claims that they make with respect to a religious foundation for their Caliphate, their state, or for their actions. It is necessary for moderate, reasonable people around the world to repudiate the distortion of Islam that ISIL seeks to spread and to contribute, as they do, to the urgent humanitarian relief effort that is required because of their barbarity.

We all have an interest in supporting the new Government of Iraq at this particular critical juncture. The coalition that’s at the heart of our global strategy, I assure you, will continue to grow and deepen in the days ahead, including at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month. And that is because the United States and the world will simply not stand by and watch as ISIL’s evil spreads. We all know – I think we come to this with great confidence that ultimately our global coalition will succeed in eliminating the threat from Iraq, from the region, and from the world. And in the doing so, we have an opportunity to build a broader coalition that can focus on lots of other challenges within this region and to prove the ability of nations to come together for common cause and to make a difference in strengthening the long-term security of all of those nations in the region and elsewhere.

So this is a moment for international cooperation to prove its value. This is a moment for multilateralism to prove its value and have its effect. This is a moment for all decent countries to come together and stand up and say to the world that we’ve had enough of these individual groups with their violent brand of distortion who seek to dominate people and coerce them, at risk of losing their life or limb, to their way of thinking. That is not what the global order or the norms of behavior have happily stood for for many, many years now, and they’re not going to start to now.

So that’s our challenge, and I’m very, very pleased with the constructive meetings that I had here in Iraq to begin this effort, to grow this coalition as rapidly as possible and put us in a position to move forward.

MS. PSAKI: The first question will be from Lara Jakes of the Associated Press.

QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, you just outlined a list of plans the new government says it will undertake to make Iraq more inclusive. What tangible and specific assurances did you hear today to make you believe that those promises would be kept? Earlier, you also heard the prime minister say that Iraq cannot cross the border to fight the Islamic State and that he was looking to the international community and the United States for that kind of help. What --

SECRETARY KERRY: Say that last – again?

QUESTION: Right, so --

SECRETARY KERRY: Earlier?

QUESTION: You’ve heard the prime minister say that Iraq cannot cross the border to fight the Islamic State and that he was looking for the international community and the United States for that kind of help. So what kind specific and tangible assurances did you give him that the United States would provide that kind of help?

And additionally, it’s believed that American and Iranian allied forces helped break the siege of Amirli. Is the U.S. now willing to work with Iran going forward to help defeat the Islamic State?

And finally --

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I’ve got to --

QUESTION: -- the OPCW concluded that toxic chemicals were used in attacks in northern Syria earlier this year. Do you know who is behind those attacks, and does this change anything about the U.S. strategy in Syria?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, to answer the last part of the question first, we do not have detailed information about specifically who issued an order, as we did on August the 21st event. We do not have specific information about what entity delivered it. We have lots of circumstantial evidence, as we did prior to August 21st of last year. But there is a clear pattern of circumstantial evidence that the Assad regime writ large, with some players within that regime have been using chlorine in a form that amounts to a chemical agent, contrary to the ban under the chemical convention treaty.

So while there are indications, they are – they’re still broad and circumstantial. You can draw a conclusion from them, but at this moment we’re looking for a greater degree of detail with respect to any potential actions.

With respect to Iran and the future with respect to efforts against ISIL, Iran obviously is opposed to ISIL. And then Iran is taking its own actions and has taken its own actions with respect to ISIL. The United States does not cooperate, militarily or otherwise, nor does it have any intention in this process of doing so, with Iran. Whatever they do is collateral and on their own. And we will pursue our own coalition over the course of these next weeks.

The first part of your question was --

QUESTION: It was about what assurances did you hear from the Iraqis.

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh.

QUESTION: And what assurances did you give them?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, every – as I said, I think, in my opening comments, every single leader that I talked to today in the strongest terms possible affirmed that they had learned lessons over these last years. Some of these leaders are – people that we know well – were opposed to things that were happening in the last years that were pulling Iraq apart. Some of them were advocating alternative actions that might have held Iraq together at an earlier stage. So we have a base of credibility, if you will, in the background and history of some of the leaders that have now come to the forefront in this new government.

But in addition, they came together organized around principle. And the fundamental principle of organization for this entire new government thus far has been we must move in a different direction from the direction that has existed in these last years. And that direction was one of sectarian division, of exploitation of divisions, of political retribution, even political arrests, political accusations. There were a host of different grievances that had built up that brought people to the brink of an utter breakdown in Iraq. And they came together determined to move to address the questions that had been left unaddressed – the oil issues, the revenue issues, the budget issues, the devolution of power, the nature of the Iraqi security forces, the rise of militias, the isolation of certain sectarian groups from the sharing of power. All of these issues are what have brought them now to a new national program that they have articulated and rearticulated and today recommitted to.

So what I know is we will get a best effort to achieve it. Can I tell you that every one of these things will happen in the next days or weeks? No, obviously I can’t do that. But I can tell you there’s a determination on their part to try to make it work, and the United States and other countries are going to be committed to work with them to help that to happen. The stakes are too high; failure is unacceptable. And that’s essentially what I heard from all of them. They know they need to succeed, and I believe they’re committed to it. And I heard that reaffirmed in many different ways today.

QUESTION: And your assurances to the Iraqi Government?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, our assurances are that as long as they are moving in that direction, as long as they are committed to this pluralism, as long as they’re committed to diversity, as long as they’re committed to inclusivity, as long as they’re going to protect minorities within Iraq, as long as they are going to follow through on their promises, we are committed to work them and to help them in that effort – not just because we need to do that in order to fight ISIL, but because the United States has had already years of engagement and commitment and invested very, very heavily in life and in financial treasure in order to get – give Iraq the chance for this future. I think these leaders understand that and they’re committed to try to make their best efforts.

The road to democracy is never easy, but we’re going to work as hard as we can, jointly, and particularly driven by the realities of ISIL and the need for all of us to coordinate to that effect. I will say and announce now that just before I came here Prince Saud al-Faisal called me to confirm that Saudi Arabia is inviting Iraq’s foreign minister to join tomorrow in the conference in Jeddah based on the affirmations that have been made by this government to be a different government, to move in a different direction. So the possibilities are there. They – the end product is going to be up to the Government of Iraq to fulfill the aspirations and hopes of the Iraqi people. And we’ll do everything we can to try to help them do that.

MODERATOR: The final question will be from Mohammed Taleb of Al Iraqiya TV.

QUESTION: (In Arabic.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, as-salam alaikum. Let me say to you that President Obama is going to speak to that in a few hours, and he will lay out the details of exactly what we’re going to do. But as I said earlier and we’ve said previously, this is a broad-based comprehensive strategy that is being laid out. And it will not just be reserved to bombs or direct military assistance. It will be comprehensive with Iraqi forces on the ground in Iraq with an army that will be reconstituted and trained and worked on in terms of a number of different strategies through the help not just of the United States but of other countries also. But in – and let me emphasize: Iraq has not asked for American forces on the ground nor other forces and Iraq doesn’t want those other forces here, and we understand that.

In addition, the President of the United States and other leaders of other countries have eliminated the notion of their forces being engaged in direct combat unless, obviously, something very, very dramatic changed. That’s the way it is today, and that’s the way it’s going to be. And the President is building a strategy around that. But as you know, we support the Syrian moderate opposition. In addition, we have talked about plans to grow that support for the Syrian moderate opposition. So there are people who live in these countries who have serious commitments to opposing what is happening there, and they’ve been prepared previously over many years to put their lives on the line in order to fight for what they believe. They believe that with adequate levels of support of various kinds, they can carry that fight. And so do we – we believe that.

So you’ll see tonight from the President’s comments the breadth of each of the areas and what he intends to announce, and I think it’s appropriate for me just to have given you those general comments and then you’ll get the greater details later.

MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, all. Appreciate it.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS ISIL LAUNCHES SERIES OF OFFENSIVES AGAINST CIVILIANS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

ISIL Attacks in Ninewa Province

Press Statement

Jen Psaki

Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

August 3, 2014

---

The United States is actively monitoring the situation in the Sinjar and Tal Afar districts of Ninewa Province where the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has launched a series of offensives against civilian populations, including in the town of Sinjar. We are gravely concerned for the safety of civilians in these areas, including the vulnerable minority communities who for years have been targeted by ISIL and its progenitor, al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI). We deeply regret the displacement of innocent civilians and mourn the loss of life from recent fighting, including from the ranks of courageous Kurdish Peshmerga units who have been fighting to defend these areas.

The United States is supporting the Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga Forces working to defend these areas against ISIL. Our Joint Operations Centers in Erbil and in Baghdad are sharing information with ISF and Peshmerga commanders. Ambassador Beecroft has met this morning with the President of Iraq, Fuad Massum, and the Deputy UN Special Representative for Iraq, Gyorgy Busztin, to discuss a coordinated approach to the humanitarian situation. We urge all Iraqi authorities, civil society, and international partners to work with the United Nations to deliver lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

The ISIL assault over the past 48 hours on territories along the border of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and focusing on towns and villages populated by vulnerable minorities, demonstrates once again that this terrorist organization is a dire threat to all Iraqis, the entire region, and the international community. We will continue to facilitate coordination between authorities in Baghdad and Erbil and provide direct assistance wherever possible. We further call on all Iraqi leaders to move swiftly pursuant to their constitutional timeline to form a new government that can help pull the country together and harness national resources against this common enemy.

U.S. FOCUSES MILITARY EFFORTS IN IRAQ SAYS DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters at the Pentagon, July 3, 2014. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton   
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2014 – U.S. military efforts in Iraq are focusing on securing the American Embassy and personnel in Baghdad, assessing the situation in the country and advising Iraqi security forces, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey briefed the Pentagon press corps, focusing on the U.S. mission and role in Iraq.
Both are important components of President Barack Obama’s strategy in Iraq, the secretary said, which involves supporting Iraqi forces and helping Iraq's leaders resolve the political crisis that enabled the advance of the armed militant extremist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

“By reinforcing security at the U.S. embassy [and] its support facilities at Baghdad International Airport, we're helping provide our diplomats time and space to work with Sunni, Kurd and Shia political leaders as they attempt to form a new inclusive national unity government,” Hagel told reporters.

By better understanding conditions on the ground and the capabilities of Iraqi security forces, he added, “we'll be better able to help advise them as they combat ISIL forces inside their own country.”

About 200 U.S. military advisers are on the ground in Iraq, said Hagel, noting that the United States, with Iraqi assistance, has established a joint operations center in Baghdad.

“We have personnel on the ground in Erbil where our second joint operations center has achieved initial operating capability … [and] assessment teams are evaluating the capabilities and cohesiveness of Iraqi forces,” the secretary said.
The six U.S. assessment teams are focusing on questions such as the strength and cohesion of the Iraqi security forces, the strength and locations of ISIL, how deeply embedded they are, how each component fits into the larger sectarian dynamic at play in the country, the process of forming a new government in the country, and other material issues, Hagel added.

“Both the chairman and I are getting some assessments back, early assessments, through [U.S. Central Command Commander Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III] who is overseeing all of this,” the secretary said. “We won't have the full complement of all those assessments for a while but that is ongoing.”

The teams in Iraq today have one mission and that is assessments, he added.
“I don't know what the assessments are going to come back and say or what they would recommend. We'll wait to see what that is and what Gen. Austin and Gen. Dempsey then recommend,” the secretary said.

“None of these troops are performing combat missions. None will perform combat missions,” Hagel said.

“The situation in Iraq … is complex and fluid. But there's no exclusively military solution to the threats posed by ISIL,” he added. “Our approach is deliberate and flexible. It is designed to bolster our diplomatic efforts and support the Iraqi people. We will remain prepared to protect our people and our interests in Iraq.”
As most Americans enjoy the Fourth of July holiday weekend, service members around the world, especially in the Middle East, will stay postured and ready for any contingency in that region, the secretary told reporters.

“As we celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, I want to particularly express my gratitude to the men and women and their families who serve our nation at home and abroad, both civilian and in uniform,” Hagel said.

“I thank you all for what you do to keep our country safe every day,” he added.

DOJ SAYS BJO CENTER IN IRAQ IS OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Baghdad Joint Operations Center at Full Capacity

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2014 – The joint operations center opened by U.S. forces in Baghdad to help the Iraqi government combat Sunni insurgents is fully operational and assessments of Iraqi units have begun, Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren said today.

Warren provided Pentagon reporters with an update on the 180 personnel who arrived in Baghdad to establish the operations center.

“The six teams of advisers are on the ground beginning their assessment of Iraqi units in and around Baghdad,” Warren said.

President Barack Obama ordered the teams to Iraq earlier this month following gains made by Sunni militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant who have overrun towns and cities across Iraq’s northern and western provinces as they move closer to Baghdad.

The JOC team provides synthesis of information provided from the six assessment teams and conducts liaison coordination, the colonel explained.

“These are very well-trained personnel that are used to operating in these types of environments,” Warren said of the six assessment teams. “They are very skilled at protecting themselves.”

Additionally, the colonel said, the JOC is sharing information with the Iraqis as assessments are made.

“We’ve long had an information-sharing arrangement with the Iraqis,” Warren said. “That arrangement continues.”

There is a tentative plan for a second operations center to be positioned in the north, he added. But that, he said, hasn’t happened yet.

“Right now, the JOC is collecting the information being provided by the six assessment teams [and] collating it, so we’re still in the assessment phase now,” Warren said.

“To be clear, we’re providing the Iraqis information that will be useful to them in their fight against ISIL,” he added.

DRONES OVER IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Armed, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Patrolling Skies Over Iraq

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2014 – Some of the manned and unmanned aircraft that the United States is flying over Iraq are armed to protect newly arrived American military advisers on the ground, Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.

The aircraft are being flown with the Iraqi government’s permission, the admiral said during a regular Pentagon briefing.

“The reason that some of those aircraft are armed is primarily for force protection reasons now that we have introduced into the country some military advisers whose objective will be to operate outside the confines of the embassy."
There are 90 U.S. service members on six teams assessing conditions in and around Baghdad. Another 90 Americans are setting up the joint operations center in Baghdad.

All told, there are around 500 American service members in the country sent by President Barack Obama to help the Iraqi military as it faces advances by Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant who have overrun much of the country’s northern and western provinces.

The aircraft are flying between 30 and 40 missions a day in and around Baghdad, Kirby said. The information gathered will feed into the team assessments and the information is being shared with Iraqi forces.

The president has made no decisions about the use of kinetic force, Kirby said, “but it would be irresponsible for us not to be planning, preparing and thinking and to be ready in case he should make that decision.”

Obama has however, decided to ask Congress for $500 million for fiscal year 2015 to help train and equip moderate elements of the opposition battling the Assad regime in neighboring Syria, where the civil war is being blamed for sending Sunni extremists across the border and destabilizing Iraq.
“That opposition, mind you, still has to be vetted,” Kirby said.

Defense officials say it’s imperative that such aid does not end up arming extremists. “But that doesn't mean that you stop the effort to try to enable and build the capacity of partners in a very tough part of the world,” Kirby said. “You don’t just turn it off because there’s a risk that … some of it may fall into the wrong hands.”

DOD SAYS MORE U.S. "ASSESSMENT TEAMS" ARRIVE IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

More U.S. Assessment Teams Arrive in Baghdad

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2014 – U.S. forces in Baghdad have opened a joint operations center in the city to assess the security situation in the wake of the rapid territorial gains made by Sunni militants, bringing the number of American service members there to about 500, Defense Department officials said today.

An additional four teams of U.S. advisors arrived in the Iraqi capital last night, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said, bringing the number of teams to six.

Warren described the deployments as enhanced teams commanded by lieutenant colonels that are fanning out across Baghdad and assessing the Iraqi military. President Barack Obama ordered the teams to Iraq following gains made by Syrian-based Sunni militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant who have overrun towns and cities across Iraq’s northern and western provinces as they move closer to Baghdad, facing little or no resistance from Iraqi security forces.
The four teams bring 50 people with them, which puts the number of American assessors on the ground to 90. Warren said an additional 90 personnel have set up the joint operations center in Baghdad, meaning 180 of the possible 300 U.S. service members Obama said he is prepared to send to Iraq have arrived.
Overall, there are approximately 500 American military personnel in Iraq. “Some of them are conducting an advise and assist mission, some are manning the joint operations center, some of them are part of the [Office of Security Cooperation] and yet others are Marines that are part of a [fleet anti-terrorism security team] platoon,” Warren said.

The assessment teams are mostly made up of Army Special Forces personnel. They will advise and assist the Iraqi military at various levels of command.
The teams will take two to three weeks to assess the Iraqi military and make their reports, officials said.

Warren would not comment on reports that Iran is operating drones over Iraq and supplying the Baghdad government with arms. He did however, call on all regional countries to “participate constructively in the situation” in Iraq. The United States does not want ethnic or religious tensions increased.
Warren said the United States will establish another joint operations center in northern Iraq in the coming days or weeks. The commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq is Army Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard.

300 MILITARY ADVISERS HEAD TO IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Obama Announces Military Advisers Heading to Iraq

By Nick Simeone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2014 – President Barack Obama today announced plans to send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to help the government in Baghdad combat a rapid advance by Sunni-led insurgents who have taken over towns and cities and routed Iraqi troops in the north and west of the country, a situation which the president said threatens to plunge Iraq into civil war.

“American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq, but we will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people in the region and American interests as well,” Obama said during an appearance in the White House press room, saying the U.S. forces will help train, advise and support Iraqi security forces.

The president spoke after another in what have been a series of meetings with his national security team to review options on how to respond to Iraq’s request for military assistance in putting down rapid gains made by insurgents led by Syrian-based fighters known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS, whose advance on Baghdad has threatened reprisals from Iraq’s Shiite majority and a return of full blown sectarian conflict.

“We will be prepared to take targeted and precise military action if and when we determine that the situation on the ground requires it,” Obama said.
Yesterday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Demspey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress further intelligence would be needed about the situation on the ground along with clear objectives in order for possible airstrikes or other military intervention to be effective.

Obama said joint operation centers in Baghdad and northern Iraq will be stood up to better share intelligence and coordinate planning with the Iraqis as they confront the terrorist threat posed by ISIS. These steps are in addition to surveillance flights the United States is already conducting along with the positioning of increased U.S. military assets in the region.

Obama again called on Iraq’s political leaders including Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to rise above sectarian differences and develop a broad-based political plan for ending a crisis that he said cannot be resolved through military means.

“It’s not the place for the United States to choose Iraq’s leaders,” Obama said. “It is clear, though, that only leaders that can govern with an inclusive agenda are going to be able to truly bring the Iraqi people together and help them through this crisis.”

To that end, Obama said the United States will launch a diplomatic initiative to work with Iraq’s leaders and countries in the region and dispatched Secretary of State John Kerry to Europe and the Middle East for talks with allies and partners.
During an exchange with reporters, Obama said his administration has told Maliki there “has to be an agenda in which Sunni, Shia, and Kurds all feel that they have the opportunity to advance their interest through the political process,” and that “as long as those deep divisions continue or worsen, it’s going to be very hard for an Iraqi central government to direct an Iraqi military to deal with these threats.”
Obama said the rapid collapse of two divisions of the Iraqi military and the threat of sectarian conflict “have reminded us of the deep scars left by America’s war in Iraq” and the sacrifice made by nearly 4,500 Americans, as well as “the need for the United States to ask hard questions before we take action abroad, particularly military action.”

But in announcing his decision to send military advisers to Iraq, the president said it is in the U.S. national security interests not to see “an all-out civil war inside Iraq.”

In addition, a senior U.S official said the terrorist group ISIS -- an outgrowth of Al-Qaeda in Iraq -- if not confronted, would attempt to create a caliphate and expand its influence across a huge swath of territory spanning the Iraq-Syria border, creating a safe haven for extremists groups that could eventually target the United States.

DOD OFFICIALS SAID TO BE CLOSELY WATCHING EVENTS IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Officials Watching Events in Iraq Closely

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2014 – As Sunni militants advance on the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, Pentagon officials say they are watching events in the country closely and will continue to help Iraqi security forces build their defensive capacity.
Reports from Iraq say jihadists aligned with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -- ISIS – have captured Mosul, the country’s second-largest city as well as Tikrit, and are moving south towards Baghdad. Reports from Mosul say thousands of Iraqi soldiers threw down their arms and fled.

“Our focus continues to be on helping Iraq,” Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said on CNN this morning. “We have been doing a lot since the American troops left Iraq. The focus is a continued, sustained effort helping them with the counterterrorism operations.”

In particular, the United States will continue to supply weapons to Iraq and to train Iraqi special operations forces in neighboring Jordan, said Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.

The United States is providing Iraq with about $15 billion in military equipment under the foreign military sales program.

“Recently, we have sent them 300 Hellfire missiles, millions of rounds of small arms, thousands of rounds of tank ammunition. Scan Eagle surveillance platforms are on schedule for delivery later in the year,” Warren said. “We’ve also recently notified Congress of an additional sale of $1 billion, which includes 200 Humvees.”

Under the strategic framework agreement that Iraq signed with the United States, the American military has expanded its training programs, including a second round of counterterrorism training for Iraqi special operators.

These weapons transfers will continue, Warren said. The United States takes security of advanced systems particularly seriously, and any transfer takes the security of these systems under consideration.

DOD officials speaking on background pointed out that many of the photos ISIS is posting of captured U.S. equipment are actually old U.S. photos pulled from the web. One photo shows a “captured” UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The United States has never supplied a Black Hawk to Iraq, officials said.

In another case, a photo purporting to be a captured surface-to-air missile vehicle was actually taken by a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant in 2003. It shows Russian equipment.

All U.S. combat troops left Iraq in 2011.

READOUT: NSA ADVISOR'S CALL WITH IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR AL-FAYYAD

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
January 05, 2014
Readout of Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken's Call with Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad

Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken spoke with Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad today.  Blinken expressed the United States' support for ongoing operations by the Iraqi Security Forces in coordination with local and tribal movements in Anbar province to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Fayyad affirmed the Iraqi government's commitment to work cooperatively with local leaders and communities in Anbar province, as well as national leaders from all political blocs, to isolate ISIL from the population and respond to the urgent needs of the Iraqi people in areas affected by terrorism. Both confirmed the strong U.S.-Iraq security partnership under the Strategic Framework Agreement, and the need for greater cooperation among Iraq’s neighboring countries to combat the regional terrorist threat. Senior officials from the White House, the State Department, and the United States Embassy in Baghdad remain in regular communication with a wide range of Iraqi officials to support ongoing efforts against ISIL, and to encourage coordination between Iraqi Security Forces and the people they serve.

U.S. CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
U.S. Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Iraq and Pledges to Help Combat al Qaeda
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
August 10, 2013

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly attacks in Baghdad. These attacks were aimed at families celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The terrorists who committed these acts are enemies of Islam and a shared enemy of the United States, Iraq, and the international community.

The attacks today bear the hallmarks of similar suicide and vehicle bomb attacks in Iraq over the past ninety days. Most of these attacks have been perpetrated by al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). AQI is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. He is also listed at the United Nations Security Council 1267/1989 al-Qa'ida Sanctions Committee.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu D'ua, is now based in Syria and has changed the name of AQI to the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS). He has taken personal credit for a series of terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, and most recently claimed credit for the operations against the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, the suicide bombing assault on the Ministry of Justice, among other attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi citizens going about their daily lives.

The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information that helps authorities kill or capture Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This reward is second only to information leading to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief of Al Qaeda’s network, and symbolizes our ongoing commitment to helping our partners in the region eliminate this threat from their territory.

In this regard, the United States is prepared to work closely with the Iraqi Government to confront the threat posed by Al Qaeda in Iraq and other terrorist groups. We look forward to discussing bilateral cooperation in this and other areas, pursuant to the Strategic Framework Agreement between our two countries, during the upcoming visit of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari next week in Washington.

Our deepest condolences go out to the victims of today's attacks and we hope for the quick recovery of those injured. The United States will stand with the Iraqi people as they work to overcome these horrific attacks perpetrated by a common enemy.