Upon U.S. Troop Pullback, Jones Assesses Iraq’s Future

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JIM LEHRER:

And still to come on the NewsHour tonight: Margaret Warner in Moscow; and Al Franken wins a big one.

That follows our interview with National Security Adviser, retired U.S. Marine General James Jones. I spoke to him earlier this evening.

General Jones, welcome.

GEN. JAMES JONES, National Security Adviser:

Thank you.

JIM LEHRER:

On and about Iraq, how important is this day today?

GEN. JAMES JONES:

I think it's very important. It's a great day for the citizens of Iraq. It's a testimony to, I think, our strategy and the implementation of our strategy, a lot of work over a number of years. So I think everybody should feel excited about this moment.

JIM LEHRER:

But the big thing is, the Americans are leaving, the Americans are leaving, but 130,000 Americans are still going to be there.

GEN. JAMES JONES:

Correct.

JIM LEHRER:

U.S. troops are still going to be there. So what are they going to do?

GEN. JAMES JONES:

Well, I think the combat forces will be around the cities and will be conducting the kind of the outer defense of the perimeter, if you will. They will be there, of course, if the Iraqi forces need them. They'll be of help.

But symbolically and actually, we will be transferring the bulk of the responsibility for the security inside the cities and towns of the entire country to the host government.

JIM LEHRER:

So none of those American troops, none of those 130,000 American troops can operate independently of the Iraqi government from this day on?

GEN. JAMES JONES:

Correct.

JIM LEHRER:

They only go unless they're shot at or something?

GEN. JAMES JONES:

That's right. They will stay outside the cities. And if needed, we will provide trainers, we'll provide advisers, we will provide counsel. And if they need reinforcements, we'll coordinate to do that.

JIM LEHRER:

But the Iraqi government defines "need" in every case, is that correct?

GEN. JAMES JONES:

Correct. That's correct. That's in keeping, Jim, with the status-of-forces agreement that the Iraqis themselves insisted on, which we think is really an admirable and, as we will see, a very courageous thing to do.

JIM LEHRER:

And yet the war goes on. Four more Americans were killed today; 25 Iraqis were killed today. So, people are still dying.

GEN. JAMES JONES:

That's correct.

JIM LEHRER:

And that's going to continue?

GEN. JAMES JONES:

I think it would be natural to expect that forces who are not thrilled with what's happening in Iraq will try to move in to whatever vacuum they perceive. They will test, obviously, the Iraqis to see how good they are and see if they'll fight. That's a natural phenomenon of warfare. And so we're going to go through a testing period again.