Inglis: Signs of progress evident but Iraq remains a tough situation and violent place

Kurdish Prime Minister says pressure needed to push Iraqi government along to progress

(April 12, 2007)

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) said Thursday he saw signs of progress during a two-day trip to Iraq but cautioned that “it’s still a very tough situation and a very violent place” in a conference call from the Middle East country of Qatar.

Inglis said he was doubly impressed during this latest visit by the utter dedication and commitment of American servicemen and women on the ground. Gen. David Petraeus described the effort of the U.S. military as “Witnessing the birth of another of the 'Greatest Generation'.”

Inglis and five other U.S. representatives are on a congressional delegation tour of Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey. The tour in Iraq was specifically to see public works projects and rebuilding in Iraq.

Inglis identified three different signs of progress since his last trip to Iraq in August of 2006.

In a meeting with the group, Petraeus told an anecdote that revealed more stability in the Al-Anbar province of the country with Sunni leaders now working with coalition forces and against Al-Qaeda.

When the six House Members landed in Baghdad this week, they were able to drive from Baghdad International Airport and into the Green Zone, something that wasn’t possible last year. Inglis also said they drove from the Green Zone to the Al-Doura market for a late afternoon visit and were able to walk around.

“It’s encouraging to be able to drive out of the Green Zone and actually cross the Tigris River twice (en route to the Al-Doura market),” Inglis said. “The one discouraging thing was there were no people in the market at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, a sign people there are still concerned with violence.”

Inglis was able to talk with American soldiers at a police substation in the Al-Doura market as well as with Iraqis security personnel for the first time through a translator. He said it was there he saw the danger of new neighborhoods where the surge is taking American forces. He also said living conditions were extremely hard for American and Iraqi security personnel there with windows busted out of the police living quarters, the toilets backed up and food resembling cold cereal.

Three Americans have been killed fighting alongside Iraqi forces at the police substation.

“It was inspiring to see the work of our folks on the ground,” he said. “They believe in what they are doing. Everyone we saw is doing their job without complaint and just working their hearts out to accomplish what we are asking them to do. I didn’t think it possible to be more impressed with them after my first trip (February ’05). It’s amazing what they’re doing.”

Inglis said Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani told him during a lunch meeting in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil that Iraqi leaders in Baghdad “need to be pushed along to progress.”

“He (Barzani) said if you do things for people, then they will never learn for themselves and they need to be pushed for progress,” Inglis said.