Attacks Won't Stop Iraqi Elections, Rice Says

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2004 – Many other milestone events have taken place in
Iraq despite violence in the country, and this winter's scheduled elections are
"entirely possible," the president's national security adviser said today.

Condoleezza Rice, appearing on "CBS' Face the Nation," told host Bob Schieffer
that despite instability, Iraq has not missed a step in its progress.

"I just want to remind people, we weren't going to be able to transfer
sovereignty, we weren't going to be able to get an Iraqi government, we weren't
going to be able to have a national conference, and a national council," Rice
said. "All of those things have happened. There will undoubtedly be violence up
until the elections, and probably even during the elections. But, it is
entirely possible to hold these elections." All along, she said, insurgents
have tried to stop the process, and all along they have failed.

"I don't think there is any doubt that the insurgents are trying hard to make
certain that the process that is underway, the political process that's
underway, wouldn't take place," she said. "But, in fact, they're not going to
win. The Iraqi people are moving toward elections in December and January,
they've established their interim government. We've transferred sovereignty.
They've had their national conference, which people said could not take place.
They have now a national council, and the Iraqis are moving right along."

Iraqi security forces are becoming increasingly effective, Rice said, even as
the insurgents continue their attacks. "Now, yes, there are some people who
want to take Iraq back to the days of mass graves and torture chambers, and
seeking weapons of mass destructions and threatening its neighbors," she said.
"It's not going to happen. The Iraqi security forces are being built, and built
quickly. They performed very well in Najaf -- one of the real successes for
them recently has been that the situation in Najaf was resolved without anyone
having to storm the shrines there, but rather Iraqi forces are now in control
in that city."

Rice acknowledged that since Saddam Hussein was ousted, insurgent violence has
periodically picked up, slowed down and picked back up again. "But the
important point," she added, "is that … we now have an Iraqi government, which
is fighting this fight. We have Iraqis signing up in droves to become part of
the security forces, whether police, or army, or National Guard. And we are
continuing … to pound enemy positions." She noted that even in Fallujah, where
the insurgency has been difficult, strikes have been made against terrorist
safehouses and insurgent strongholds.

But putting down an insurgency requires not only military action, but also
political strategy, Rice noted. "In some places the military element is
stronger, and the political element is subordinate, in some places it's
flipped," she explained. "If you look at places like the Sunni Triangle, Prime
Minister (Ayad) Allawi and his people have been very clear that they believe
that the political strategy, the groundwork has to be laid with leadership
there. It was largely a political strategy that won in Najaf, but of course, in
Sadr City we're continuing to pound positions."

Rice said that although political strategy carried the day in Najaf, militia
loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr were defeated militarily as
well. "They had very little left by the time we left those shrines," she said.
"So the key is to marry at the right time, in the right places, political and
military elements to defeat the insurgency."

And as progress continues in Iraq, Rice said, the insurgents will have their
hands full.

"Prime Minister Allawi is working with leaders throughout the Sunni Triangle to
enlist them in this election. The process of local governments and their work
with local security forces goes on," she said. "Yes, it's a violent place, but
there are going to be ups and downs, this is a turbulent period in a difficult
circumstance. But, I'll tell you, the Iraqis are making political progress
every day, and every time they move toward that -- those political milestones -
- the insurgency has more of a problem."

Biography:
National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice [[url]http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/ricebio.html][/url]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
[url]http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2004/n09122004_2004091209.html[/url].



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