Wolfowitz outlines Iraq policy in Senate hearing

Описание: (19 May 2004)
1. US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage sitting before Senate Foreign Relations Committee
2. Various wides of hearing
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Defence Secretary:
"I think we're on a course to substantial Iraqi security forces by the end of this year, but I can't tell you how strong the enemy will be, I can't predict exactly how things will go. But our goal is to put responsibility in their hands as quickly as we can and not too rapidly to create problems."
4. Cutaway of Senate Foreign Relations committee

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Defence Secretary:
"We are looking at sustaining pretty high levels of US forces (in Iraq), and certainly higher than we anticipated earlier, for some time."

6. Wide of committee hearing
7. Senator Dick Lugar talking

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Defence Secretary:
"We had a plan that anticipated I think that we could proceed with an occupation regime for much longer than it turned out the Iraqis
would have patience for."

9. Cutaway of Wolfowitz and Armitage listening
10. Wide of Senator Joseph Biden talking

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Defence Secretary:
"I don't mean this at all condescending, but when you're teaching a youngster to ride a bicycle you don't keep your hand on the seat the whole time. At some point you have to take it off."

12. Cutaway of Wolfowitz listening
13. Wide of US Senator Russ Feingold talking
14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Russ Feingold, US Senator, (Democrat-Wisconsin):
"What was the plan with regard to a possible negative reaction from the Iraqi people, and also specifically, what was the plan with regard to securing any weapons of mass destruction? I, frankly, feel we were never given real answers to that, and I have a feeling that it's because there wasn't a serious plan, and I think at this point we're paying a serious price for it."
15. Various wides of hearing

STORYLINE:

US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says the Defence Department underestimated its enemy in Iraq, failing to predict how resilient Saddam Hussein and his government would be.

In a rare admission of pre-war miscalculations, Wolfowitz also said it was impossible to say how long a large American military force will have to stay in Iraq after political power is handed to Iraqis on June 30.

Wolfowitz spoke at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, the latest called by lawmakers worried about the Bush administration's handling of the war and reconstruction so far and about its plans for the future.

He also said US officials were wrong to impose a severe policy of de-Baathification - the decision to purge members of Saddam's Baath party from the government.

The move threw out of work thousands of teachers, military men and others, many of whom had been required to join the party for employment, and was blamed by some for not only boosting joblessness but helping fuel the insurgency.

Wolfowitz also said that the next year to 18 months would be critical in Iraq because it would take that long to stand up fully trained and equipped Iraqi security forces and to elect a representative government.

Pressed by Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, on how long substantial numbers of US troops would have to remain in the country, Wolfowitz said he could not predict.

Feingold also accused the Pentagon of not having had a plan for a post-Saddam Iraq.





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