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WASHINGTON -- Moderate fighters in Syria, Iraqi security forces,
Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters), allies and partners of the U.S., all
have a vested interest in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and
Levant, or ISIL, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno.
The U.S. has to continue to show resolve as well, he added.
 U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga soldiers
interact, in 2008. Since that time, sectarian rifts have
developed in Iraq. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno pointed
out that if the fight against ISIS is to succeed, there has to
be a healing between these groups. Odierno gave his remarks
Sept. 19, 2014, at a Defense Writers Group at the Fairmont Hotel
in Washington, D.C., where he was guest speaker. (Photo courtesy
of U.S. Army)
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"We have to realize this is a long-term threat that will
take a long-term commitment," he pointed out. "If you don't
believe [ISIL] doesn't want to attack the west and America,
you're kidding yourself. That is their goal."
Odierno
gave his remarks Sept. 19, at a Defense Writers Group at the
Fairmont Hotel here, where he was guest speaker.
The
primary reason ISIL overran large swaths of territory and
Iraqi troops abandoned their posts, he said, is not due to
lack of equipment and training of the Iraqi security forces.
It was "because people in some parts of Iraq lost faith in
their government," he explained.
The most important piece of the fight going forward is
for people in all parts of Iraq to regain confidence that
the government will represent them and be there for them in
all spheres, from economic and political to military and
security support, he said.
When Odierno left Iraq in
2010, he said he was pleased to see signs of progress and
believed things would get even better. Now, he said, he's
disappointed at what's happening there, but believes there
is still time to turn things around.
The Iraqi
government needs to represent all of the people, he
reiterated.
"Now with a new government and new prime
minister, there's some hope that will happen," he explained.
Odierno said that the new government has promised a
willingness to improve relations with all the people of
Iraq, but he added that it will take time and actions to
regain that trust.
"They have to believe it's in
their best interest to support the government," he said.
BOOTS ON GROUND
"Air strikes have slowed the
advances of ISIL. But air strikes alone won't defeat ISIL,"
Odierno cautioned. "You need a complementary ground
capability that will go in and do that."
These boots
on the ground will be moderates in Syria and Iraq, as well
as troops from other Arab nations who would like to assist,
he said, adding that the U.S. will train, equip and advise
them as needed.
"We all agree with the current
strategy we're executing," he said, we meaning the joint
chiefs and the president. "We've got to give this time to
work. It's important they're the ones who will defeat ISIL."
Odierno added that as is the case in any operation,
assessments will continue to be made as events unfold and
that with input from his commanders, he will continue to
provide the chairman and the president with candid advice.
All options are open, "I never rule anything out," he
added.
While U.S. air strikes have been effective at
slowing the spread of ISIL, Odierno cautioned that targets
will become more difficult in the future as the extremists
blend in with the civilian population and possibly use them
as human shields.
The U.S. military is using a
cautious approach to "vetting" the forces who will engage
with ISIL with U.S. training and arms, he said.
"We
must be sure they are who they are and won't be part of some
extremist group," Odierno said.
Another caution he
pointed to, is the use of air power to target the
extremists.
"The worst thing that can happen to us is
killing innocent Iraqis, innocent civilians, so we have to
be careful and precise in targeting," Odierno explained.
That gets back to why Iraqi ground forces are needed on
the ground to help with that targeting effort, he added.
By Army David Vergun
Army News Service
Copyright 2014
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