General Robert Holmes: “We do not want to create a stamp “made in USA” in Iraq”
- WEB EXCLUSIVE. Brig.Gen. Robert Holmes, a former cab driver in New York, is the Deputy Director of operations at Central Command (Centcom) and makes plans for military action.
- With Democrats pushing for a US troop pullout, George Bush used on July 24 2007 the word Al Qaida 95 times in 29 minutes in a speech to discuss the war in Iraq.
- Brig. Gen. Holmes assesses the impact of the US troop surge.
New York. The general used to be a cab driver in New York in 1978 before joining the Air Force. Brigadier General Robert Holmes (photo Jean-Cosme Delaloye) is now the Deputy Director of operations at Central Command (Centcom) in Tampa, Florida. “In some ways, what I saw in the streets of New York was what I saw on the streets of Afghanistan, he said during a meeting with a few foreign journalists on July 24 2007. The streets of New York were a good laboratory for my own professional development”.
With Democrats pushing for a US troop pullout, George Bush used the word al Qaida 95 times in 29 minutes in a speech he held that same day to discuss the war in Iraq. As the president was making his case in South Carolina, Brig. Gen. Holmes made his in New York. “In Iraq, we are a month into the final US forces’ arrival and we now have the ability to conduct simultaneous operations with the Iraqi security forces, not only in Baghdad but across the nation. This is a very good thing because it allows us to see more unity of effort with regard to security”.
General, what is the goal of the troop surge?
We view the security operation, as we have all along, not as a means to achieve a military solution in Iraq but as a means for the security operation to allow other elements of activity - diplomatic, political, economic – to take root. The goal is to allow Iraqis to govern and secure their nation. We do not want to create a stamp “made in USA”.
But what kind of military solution can there be against the insurgency?
It is not just a single insurgent fighter. We face many different groups. We have said along the military solution by itself will not work. It’s got to take a very strong diplomatic effort of many nations with a regional view of security.
During the Democratic presidential debate on Monday July 23, Senator Biden said it would take at least a year for US troop pullout. Is that figure accurate?
In this kind of conflict, a pullout takes time. I am not for a timeline. First, we need to support the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces. Military doctrine takes time because this is a war of insurgency. Each one of the extreme actors in Iraq has a different motivation and it takes time for a free and independent Iraq to emerge. A military solution alone will not bring success in Iraq. It must be an integrated strategy.
On July 24, a new military plan was leaked to the New York Times. This Joint Campaign plan foresees an American presence in Iraq until at least 2009.
I have not read the report but the strategy remains the same. From a military perspective, we need to see what the use of the military forces is, and what the size of the military forces may be. But all along we have said it will take time to support the Iraqi government and to combat and defeat these lines of insurgency.
So for you, there is no change of strategy in Iraq.
No. I haven’t seen any. The goal is to provide security for other elements of power to take root. After the invasion, the strategy has been to coach and mentor the Iraqi security forces so they can become confident enough and provide the Iraqi government the stability it needs to govern.
How would you rate the state of the coalition?
I would say the coalition is healthy. You can pinpoint countries that may ebb and flow with military commitment but you have to look at commitment in other areas. All of the coalition members bring value to the table. It has been a long-lasting coalition and it is committed.
Are you happy with the surge right now?
There are signs of success across the provinces. We see in some towns a return to normalcy. Markets are opening up. Communities are venturing away from their immediate surroundings. In a province, we have seen tribal leaders step up to partner with the coalition forces to fight al Qaida. We see confidence in the Iraqi security forces. These forces are in the lead for four out of 18 provinces. They grow stronger. Having said that, there is still violence. We see horrific acts of violence designed to be a weapon of mass effect while we see the incident of attack either going down or holding in some provinces.
Is there anything you can plan to solve the problem in Darfur?
Darfur is very critical to the region. Populations are in need of governance and services. Regions like this one are used as a safe haven by extreme actors like al Qaida. I do not have a military plan in my mind for Darfur. I would like to see the international community step up to to do what we need to do to exhibit leadership there.
More and more Americans are now disapproving the war in Iraq. What is the effect on the morale of US troops?
Our military is very professional and very smart. They understand the cherished freedom of the political debate. This is why I put the uniform on. The political debate does not really impact the troops on the ground. I am not trying to gloss over that. It is healthy. Our troops understand the job we are there to do and we understand that the mission is regional.
A second US-Iran meeting took place on July 24 2007 in Baghdad. What kind of outcome do you hope?
CENTCOM has taken the position that Iran could be useful to the region. We would view a helpful Iran as a very good thing.
Are the US and Western countries safer after the invasion of Iraq?
It is not so much a matter of safety. It is a matter of understanding the nature of this enemy and of understanding how dangerous and global it is so that the international community stands ready to defeat that. It is not just militarily that we defeat this kind of extreme violence and terrorist activity. In some ways, we are safer and in some other we maybe aren’t.
What needs to be done by 2009 in order to achieve the troops pullout as the latest report suggests?
We need to get a government in Iraq that is free to govern, security forces which are able to protect their people
Is that feasible?
Sure. But the military does not have a single vote in that. The Iraqi people have a vote and the opponents also have a vote.
Jean-Cosme Delaloye
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