Stryker Brigade News

First, let me say to the families of these soldiers how proud we are of the sacrifices they make every day. We have had 47 soldiers give their lives for this cause since the deployment began. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families. Their courage and sacrifices will remain etched in all of our hearts forever. To our fellow soldiers wounded in action, we send our best wishes. You and your families remain in our thoughts and prayers.

Our purpose here remains centered on helping the Iraqi people win the struggle for their freedom. In that vein, Iraqi political and military leaders, along with Iraqi soldiers, police and citizens, are making steady progress against the insurgency. They are also making progress in developing capable Iraqi army and police forces and creating effective provincial governments.

Some of the recent steps the people in northern Iraq have taken include: Units of the Iraqi 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions are now conducting combined counterinsurgency operations with Multinational Forces Northwest forces every day. More importantly, Iraqi soldiers are increasingly seen by their citizens as a source of pride and confidence. That pride and confidence has also increased significantly the amount of information provided by Iraqi citizens since the January time frame.

The 3rd Brigade of the 1st Iraqi Intervention Force from the 1st Iraqi Division has been responsible for security in the heart of downtown Mosul since early March, and continues to do an excellent job. The Mosul police are on the streets of the city actively enforcing the rule of law and increasing the confidence of the Iraqi public. On any given day, about 800 are in training, and each month about 400 complete the eight-week basic course for Iraqi police.

Most importantly, they are defiantly standing up to the terrorists. Three attacks this past weekend targeted the police specifically but did not deter them from their mission. They stood their ground, refused to abandon the police station that was damaged by a suicide car bomb, and increased patrols and checkpoints throughout the city to deter further attacks.

The recently elected Nineveh provincial government is undertaking reconstruction planning and developing programs for economic growth. The government holds regional security meetings throughout the province, which are attended by progressively larger members of the community leadership. The regional Sunni leaders and population are increasingly involved in a political transition that will determine the future of Iraq, and the local leadership of the Iraqi Islamic Party is actively engaged with the provincial government.

While the recent progress is encouraging, more work is required to enhance Iraq's durability against threats to their emerging democracy. Iraqi leaders and coalition forces are working in partnership to achieve that end.

I would be happy to take any questions you have.

He goes on to answer questions from the press.