Myers, Casey, Rumsfeld talk out of their arse

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Transcript

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. MyersTuesday, April 26, 2005 1:33 p.m. EDT

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers

There are now more than a hundred operational battalions in the Ministries of Defense and Interior, conducting counterinsurgency operations. And several units are conducting operations at the company or battalion level with minimal coalition assistance.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld

The people that are going to defeat that insurgency are going to be the Iraqis.

... Later .....

Gen George Casey
Testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee
September 29, 2005

Gen George Casey : We fully recognize that Iraqi armed forces will not have an independent capability for some time, because they don't have the institutional base to support them. And so Level 1, as you'll recall from the slide, that's what's got one battalion. And it's going to be a long time before . . .

SEN. McCAIN: Used to be three. Now we've gone from three to one?

Gen George Casey : Pardon me?

SEN. McCAIN: It was three before.

Gen George Casey : Right.

SEN. McCAIN: The previous report was you had three battalions. Now we're down to one battalion.

Gen George Casey : Right, and things change in the battalions. I mean, we're making assessments on personnel, on leadership, on training.

SEN. McCAIN: And you . . .

Gen George Casey : I mean, there are a lot of variables that are involved here, Senator.