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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2017)
NATION/WORLD Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Defense Secretary Mattis: U.S. will stay in Iraq a while By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press BAGHDAD — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday he believes U.S. forces will be in Iraq and in the fight against Islamic State militants for a while, despite some rocky times between the two nations. Speaking at the end of a day of meetings in Baghdad with military commanders and Iraqi political leaders, Mattis said he is open to any request from his military commanders to aid the battle to retake Mosul and launch a major battle to oust IS from the base of its so-called caliphate in Raqqa, Syria. He would not provide details. Despite President Donald Trump’s past threats to take Iraq’s oil and his attempt to impose a travel ban that includes Iraqi citizens, Mattis said his meetings with Iraqi leaders underscored the partnership the U.S. has with the Iraqis. He said there’s no doubt that “the Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognize what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership, in particular with the United States.” His optimistic words come on the heels of his earlier declaration that the U.S. does not intend to seize Iraqi oil, distancing himself from comments made by President Donald Trump that has rattled Iraq’s leaders. Trump’s oil threat and his inclusion of Iraq in the administration’s travel ban have roiled the nation and spurred local lawmakers to pressure al-Abadi to reduce cooperation with Wash- ington. “I think all of us here in this room, all of us in America have generally paid for our gas and oil all along, and I’m sure that we will continue to do that in the future,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him. “We’re not in Iraq to seize anybody’s oil.” Trump brought up the prospect during the campaign, and he mentioned it again late last month during a visit to the CIA. He told the gathering there that, “To the victor belong the spoils,” and added, “maybe you’ll have another chance” to take the oil. Despite those tensions, Mattis and Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, described an enduring partnership AP Photo/Lolita Baldor U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, center, is greeted by U.S. Ambassador Doug- las Silliman as he arrives at Baghdad International Airport on an unannounced trip Monday. Mattis said Monday the United States does not intend to seize Iraqi oil, shifting away from an idea proposed by President Donald Trump that has rattled Iraq’s leaders. AP Photo/Bram Janssen Iraqi police forces fire shots at Islamic State militant positions from a hillside outside the town of Abu Saif, Monday. between the U.S. and Iraq. “I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other,” Mattis said. Townsend, who was standing by Mattis, declined to say how long the U.S. will stay in Iraq. But, he said, “I don’t anticipate that we’ll be asked to leave by the govern- ment of Iraq immediately after Mosul.” He added, “I think that the government of Iraq realizes their very complex fight, and they’re going to need the assistance of the coalition even beyond Mosul.” Townsend also acknowl- edged that U.S. forces are now operating closer and deeper into the fight with Iraq units as the battle to retake western Mosul entered its second day. He said the change began in recent months during the successful fight to take back eastern Mosul, and is now happening more often. U.S. special operations forces have been working with the Iraqis, offering advice and assistance but initially they were only at the headquar- ters’ level. More recently they have been moving closer to the battlefront, working with brigade, battalion and some- times smaller units. But they are generally with command and control units, not in combat on the front lines. “We embedded advisers a bit further down into the formation,” Townsend said. Mattis’ unannounced one-day stop in Iraq was his first as Pentagon chief and the first visit to the warzone by a senior member of the Trump administration. It comes as Mattis and his military leaders are nearing the end of a 30-day review of the Islamic State fight. He must send Trump a strategy to accelerate the battle in the next seven days. Senior U.S. military officers said Monday that the fight in the more urban, heavily populated areas of western Mosul will require more precision airstrikes and probably smaller bombs that can take out a building or group of militants and leave surroundings intact. Lt. Gen. Jeff Harrigian, the top Air Force commander in the Middle East, said troops responsible for calling in airstrikes are closer to the fight and can move forward with Iraqi units. They also have greater authority now to speak directly to pilots in the aircraft overhead, allowing them to launch strikes more quickly, he said. Military leaders, said Harrigian, realized they could be more responsive now because the troops have built up trust with their Iraqi partners. While Mattis and Townsend wouldn’t talk about any future changes or accelerants in the war fight, various military options have been discussed in recent months. Among them: putting more troops in Iraq and Syria and boosting military aid to Kurdish fighters backed by the U.S.-led coalition. More specifically, officials have talked about expanding efforts to train, advise and enable local Iraqi and Syrian forces, increasing intelli- gence and surveillance, and allowing U.S. troops to move forward more frequently with Iraqi soldiers nearer the front lines. East Oregonian Page 7A Trump taps military strategist as national security adviser PALM BEACH, Fla. The White House said (AP) — President Donald Monday McMaster plans Trump has tapped Army to remain on active military Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, duty. a prominent military strat- He will take on the chal- egist known as a creative lenge of leading a National thinker, as his Security Council new national that has not security adviser, adjusted smoothly replacing the to Trump’s lead- ousted Michael ership. The pres- Flynn. ident suggested T r u m p he does not announced the trust holdovers pick Monday at from the Obama his Palm Beach, administration Florida, club and McMaster and complained said McMaster is about leaks to “a man of tremen- reporters. His dous talent and tremendous decision to put his top polit- experience.” ical adviser on the senior Sitting next to Trump committee of the National for the announcement, Security Council drew McMaster said he was sharp criticism. On Friday, honored to take on the role the head of the council’s and added that he looks Western Hemisphere divi- forward to “doing every- sion was fired after he crit- thing that I can to advance icized Trump’s policies and and protect the interests of his inner circle of advisers. the American people.” Trump said Monday The president’s choice that retired Army Lt. Gen. further elevates the influ- Keith Kellogg, who had ence of military officers been his acting adviser, will in the new administration. now serve as the National Trump, who has no military Security Council chief of or foreign policy experience, staff. He also said he would has shown a strong prefer- be asking John Bolton, a ence for putting generals in former U.S. ambassador to top roles. In this case, he the United Nations, to work tapped an active-duty officer with them in a “somewhat for a post that’s sometimes different capacity.” used as a counterweight to McMaster is viewed as the Pentagon. McMaster, soldier-scholar and creative who wore his uniform thinker. He has a doctoral for the announcement, degree in history from joins Defense Secretary the University of North Jim Mattis and Homeland Carolina and has been Security Secretary John heavily involved in the Kelly, both retired generals, Army’s efforts to shape its in Trump’s inner circle of future force and its way of national security advisers. preparing for war. RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. Member FINRA/SIPC Serving Eastern Oregon & Washington for over 25 years Chrissy Woollard has joined John Cimmiyotti as a new Financial Advisor for Raymond James Financial Services in the Pendleton offi ce. Chrissy has been with Raymond James for 9 years and currently she holds a series 7 & 66 and Life, Health, Variable insurance licenses. Chrissy graduated from the University of Wyoming with a BS in Science and a minor in Busi- ness. Chrissy is a native of Pendleton and a Pendleton High School graduate. 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