Army Chief of Staff: Iraqi Army Unable to Control Iraq Until 2020

Chief of Staff of Iraqi Joint Forces says that until 2020 the Iraqi army won’t be able to protect the country. At a time when US troops are due to leave Iraq by the end of this year, General and Chief of Staff of Iraqi Joint Forces, Babaker Zebari doubts the ability of Iraqi forces to control the country. This is a special Rudaw interview with Zebari

Rudaw: On April 25th some clashes took place between soldiers from the 2nd brigade of the Iraqi army and Kurdish security forces in Kirkuk as a result of which one Kurdish security officer was killed. Was this not an attempt to harm the Kurds and create trouble in Kirkuk?

Zebari: This was not a premeditated plan. The reaction of the Kurdish government was also very reasonable. Investigations have already begun and we will abide by its outcome. We will not stand behind anyone responsible for the incident. Those who created the problem must be punished. The commander of the 2nd brigade is a good man, but sometimes things can get out of control for everyone.

Rudaw: The governor of Kirkuk had warned that if the American troops withdrew by the end of this year, a civil war will break out. Do you have the same predictions?

Zebari: This is one of the fears that we all face in the disputed areas of Iraq. Such expectations are often brought up and I think there will be a real challenge for both the Kurds and the Iraqi government.

Rudaw: Where has the plan to form two infantry units of Kurdish soldiers for the Iraqi army in Kurdistan reached?

Zebari: The Kurdish government is at fault in this regard. No one will ever come and say here are two infantry units for you. The Kurdish authorities must follow up on that. There has never been an opportunity like this for the Kurds to come to Baghdad and see into the creation of these two Kurdish units. I do not understand the hesitation of the Kurdish officials. The Kurdish government needs to be more serious in this regard.

Rudaw: There are many disputed issues between Baghdad and the Kurdish government such as the issue of Peshmarga in Kurdistan and their budget. Do you think these issues will be solved this year?

Zebari: This is a political issue that should have been solved before the provincial elections of 2009. However, solving these issues is at its final stages. I believe they will be solved if the committees created for solving them are activated. But I really don’t know why the Kurdish government is silent about this.

Rudaw: The Iraqi parliament said that they are awaiting a report about the capabilities of the Iraqi army and the possible need for the American army presence in Iraq. You have previously said that the Iraqi army is not ready to protect Iraq single-handedly, do you still believe that?

Zebari: The forces that we have within Iraq are good and will not have big problems. But we do not have the capacity to protect the borders. We also do not have any forces to defend the borders and Iraq’s airspace. Therefore we will not be able to protect until 2020. The presence of the American army is not a must for the protection of Iraq. The government can cooperate with NATO and some countries in the region to protect the borders and the skies of Iraq from any external aggression.

Rudaw: What does the US say about its army presence in Iraq?

Zebari: If we ask them to keep their army in Iraq, I think they will respond positively because they have fears about the region.

Rudaw: How about yourself?

Zebari: Yes, I am personally worried, too.

Rudaw: This means the US army must stay then?

Zebari: We are soldiers and this is a political decision that must be made by the politicians. We can only give our impression to the politicians and they will decide.

Rudaw: What is your impression?

Zebari: We have conveyed our impression to the politicians which is that the Iraqi army will not be ready to control Iraq until 2020.

Rudaw: But Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says that there is no more need for American troops?

Zebari: We hear such statements too, but we do not know what other things are being said behind closed doors. As the army, we have a three-phased plan which has been designed in the Ministry of Defense in 2008. If this plan is carried out completely before 2020, the Iraqi army will get strong enough to protect Iraq.

Rudaw: If the American army decides to pull out by the end of this year, what do you expect to happen?

Zebari: Any problem that may arise will be a problem for all of Iraq and we have to find a solution when that time comes. I also want to point out that, the presence of the American army in Iraq also creates problems. Some groups within Iraq are against their presence. So I believe that an American presence after the deadline will create more problems than solutions.

Rudaw: It is said that Jalal Talabani has brought Iraqi army units into Sulaimani, is this true?

Zebari: No, that is not true. There are no Arab soldiers in Sulaimani. I reassure all the Kurdish people that this news is not true. If it was true, I would have been aware of and known about it.

Rudaw: The Washington Post wrote that Talabani had asked PM Maliki to send 3000 Iraqi soldiers to Sulaimani during the protests in that area. Are you aware of this?

Zebari: This is not true. We had a meeting with the Iraqi President and Prime Minister and no such request was made. The Peshmarga forces are big enough to protect the Kurdistan Region of Iraq independently.

Rudaw: You as a general in the Iraqi army, how aware are you of the presence of armed forces in Sulaimani city and its outskirts?

Zebari: The Kurdish government is in charge of the Peshmarga forces and they can mobilize these forces without referring to the federal Iraqi government.

Rudaw: Do you think deploying big numbers of Peshmarga forces in Sulaimani with heavy weaponry is a reasonable decision?

Zebari: If they do not use the heavy weaponry against the people, it is considered very normal to mobilize such forces when the Kurdish government thinks there is insecurity. We have the presence of such forces in many Iraqi cities.