Home » Archives » "Briefing Transcript: BG Kevin Bergner"

Briefing Transcript: BG Kevin Bergner

Sep-23-2005 » Filed Under: Iraq News

BG Bergner is the Deputy Commander, Multinational Force-Northwest. He spoke today on conditions in Tal Afar.

Link to the Full Transcript

[...] GEN. BERGNER: Okay. Bryan, thanks again. Most of you have probably heard from or talked to my boss, Major General Dave Rodriguez. And so I am his deputy commanding general, and it's my pleasure to give you a quick update this afternoon from Mosul.

I'll talk about three main topics: recent trends in security, operations in Tall Afar, and I'll talk a little bit about preparations for the constitutional referendum here. And I'll be glad to take your questions.

First, in terms of recent trends in security, I'd say it's important to note that we continue to make significant progress in taking down the al Qaeda network that has plagued the citizens of northern Iraq. And we are probably at the point of impacting about 80 percent of that network in terms of detaining, capturing, killing the leadership and disrupting their resources and disrupting their support bases and neutralizing their capability to conduct operations against the Iraqi people and against Iraqi security forces and our own forces. [...]

The Iraqi police from Mosul and the Iraqi army forces of the 3rd Iraqi Army Division are universally recognized by the people at Tall Afar as forces that they both trust and respect. And I hear that from the people that I talk to on the street, I hear it from the sheikhs, and I hear it from the city leadership, as well.

In terms of police training, on any given day we've got about 800 in training, and each month about 600 complete the eight-week basic course for Iraqi police. And in late August the Ministry of Interior opened an accredited police academy right here in Mosul, so for the first time in the past year, there are now police from Nineveh Province that are receiving the same quality of training and preparation here in Mosul that they used to have to go to the Jordan International Police Training Academy for. We continue to use both academies as bases to get as many police through training as we can.

Much of the credit for these accomplishments in the security area rest with the soldiers of the 1st Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division, the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who just completed a year- long deployment here. And I want to just take a minute to thank Colonel Bob Brown and Command Sergeant Major Tom Adams and their magnificent soldiers. They have truly made an enormous difference in the lives of millions of Iraqi people here. And the Iraqi people here will never forget them, and nor will we. They did -- they've done a tremendous job. [...]

Short summary of the entire briefing


Advertisements