Dubik, who just completed his tour of duty as the U.S. officer
responsible for training the Iraqi security forces, said the Iraqi military
and police were progressing toward their goal of autonomous operations. In
testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Dubik, citing
operational successes in Amara, Baghdad and Basra, said the Iraqi security
forces have been rapidly expanding, but still require experienced
commanders.
"Our assistance may change in organization and size over the coming
months or years, but some form of partnership and assistance, consistent
with strategic objectives, is still necessary," Dubik said. "The Iraqis know
this; we should remember it too."
In July, the last of the five U.S. military surge brigades — the army's
3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team — was scheduled to return
home. Officials said the military canceled the assignment of more than 300
U.S. troops to Iraq amid the improvement in the country's security
situation.
"Our efforts in conjunction with the efforts of the Iraqi security
forces have been significant in reducing the number of attacks throughout
the country," U.S. Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of Multinational
Corps-Iraq, said. "[Iraqi security forces] have collected up a number of
caches, and they've also conducted operations in Basra and Amara. And as we
watch that unfold, we see them take out a tremendous amount of lethal
accelerants off the battlefield."
For his part, Dubik urged Congress to revise laws and regulations in an
effort to accelerate the equipping of the Iraqi security forces. He said
Iraq has ordered $2.7 billion in military equipment, but received just $1.4
billion.
"This accelerated delivery has made important positive contributions to
the Iraqi security forces' capability," Dubik said.
[On Wednesday, the United States transferred 11 aircraft to the Iraq Air
Force. Officials said the U.S.-origin Cessnas, worth more than $9 million,
would be used to train Iraqi pilots.]
Over the last year, the Iraqi security forces have grown by more than 25
percent — from 444,000 to 566,000. Many Iraqi units have been certified
Level 1, or having the ability to conduct operations with minimal U.S. help.
But the general was careful against specifying when Iraqi security forces
would assume full responsibility.
"I would not put an X on the calendar, Mr. chairman," Dubik told House
Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Ike Skelton said.
But Dubik, replaced in early July by Army Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, said a
key challenge was the inability of the Iraqi military to train its recruits.
He also cited a shortage of experienced junior- and mid-level Iraqi
officers.
"From my standpoint, we should not underestimate the difficulty of the
task remaining," Dubik said. "The successes of the past year-plus are
significant, are dramatic, but can be reversed, and they can be stymied."
Officials said the U.S. military envisioned the start of Iraqi
assumption of full security responsibility around 2009 in a process that
would conclude three years later. The military expected Iraq to require
another decade of assistance before it could defend against an external
enemy.
"As I often said to my command in Baghdad, 'Progress doesn't result in
no problems, it results in new problems,'" Dubik said.
