Скачать или смотреть Robert Gates, Peter Pace on situation in Iraq

(21 Jun 2007)
1. Wide shot of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace walking into briefing room and sitting down
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Robert Gates, US Defence Secretary:
"The reason for the spike in violence is that, as General Petraeus has indicated, our troops and the Iraqi troops are going in to areas where they haven't been for some time, and they anticipated that there would be a high level of combat as they did that."
3. Cutaway of media
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) General Peter Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff:
"I think certainly, from the standpoint of the commanders on the ground, this is exactly what needs to be done to assist in providing a level of security that buys the time for the Iraqi government to provide the governance and provide the economic opportunities for their citizens. So this is the right thing to do."
5. Cutaways of media
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) General Peter Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff:
"As we do these sweeps in areas that we've been through before, but now we're going to go in and hold, as we're taking the fight to the enemy with the additional troops, we can expect that there's going to be tough - there's going to be tough fighting ahead. We're going to expect that our enemy is going to want to impact the psyche here in the United States with regard to the number of significant incidents that they're able to pull off and the total numbers of the casualties that they will produce. So it is an expectation that this surge is going to result in more contact and, therefore, more casualties."
7. Cutaway of media
8. Wide shot of Gates and Pace
STORYLINE:
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday that the recent spike of violence in Iraq was "anticipated," as US and Iraqi troops move into areas where he said they haven't been for some time.
Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, Gates was asked about the recent surge in violence and increased attacks on US troops.
On Thursday, 14 American troops died in multiple attacks, including five killed in a single roadside bombing in Baghdad.
Gates said that "troops are going into areas where they haven't been for some time", adding that General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, "anticipated there would be a high level of combat".
Asked about the prospects for leaving the number of American troops in Iraq at their current high levels, Gates said, "We'll just to have to wait and see the progress of these offensives".
General Peter Pace, outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the current US-led offensive was "exactly what needs to be done."
He said it "buys time for the Iraqi government," and called it "the right thing to do".
Pace also said as coalition forces are "taking the fight to the enemy with the additional troops, we can expect that there's going to be tough... fighting ahead... and therefore, more casualties."
He noted that decisions would be made after reports on progress are made in September by General Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Iraq.
It was Pace's first exchange with reporters since the administration's surprise decision earlier this month to replace him.
Bush nominated Navy Adm. Michael Mullen to succeed Pace, whose current term ends Oct. 1.
Gates was also asked about the progress of US President George W. Bush's military build up in getting Iraq to govern and defend itself.
Congress ordered a first report on progress in Iraq to be completed by July 15 and a second one by mid-September.

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