What follows is a transcript of the exchange between committee chairman Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Delaware) and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, appearing at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing 10:00 AM Thursday 11 January, 2007. Streaming video of this meeting, The Administration's Plan for Iraq, can also be accessed on teh FRC website (just moved since 11 Jan, '07).
The following transcript picks up after they have read their prepared statements at the start of the hearing. I prepared this transcript as best I could from a video recording. I've looked on several Senate and C-SPAN sites but not found full transcripts, including questions and responses, of all the various hearings being conducted. I recorded and have started to transcribe some of the interchanges in the Senate hearings. Some Senators have put their prepared remarks on their web sites or the Sen-FRC site (links below).
- Senator Biden's prepared opening remarks, Sen-FRC 2007 Jan 11 10AM;
- Senator Lugar's prepared opening remarks, Sen-FRC 2007 Jan 11 10AM;
- Secretary Condoleezza Rice's prepared opening remarks, Sen-FRC 2007 Jan 11 10AM;
Two items stand out for me during the following interchange: the use of the word "census" and the phrase "image in mind."
[Senator Joseph Biden (D-Delaware)]
... Let me begin. Secretary Rice, last night the preseident said, and I quote, "succeeding
in Iraq requires defending the teritorial integrity and stabilizing the region in the face of
[extreme] challenges, and that begins with addressing Iran and Syria."
He went on to say "we will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria, and will seek out and destroy networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq. "
Does that mean the President has plans to cross the Syrian and or Iranian border to pursue
those persons or individuals or governments providing that help?
[Secretary Condoleezza Rice]
Mr Chairman, the Chairman the Joint Chiefs was just asked this question and I think he answered it best. What we are really trying to do here is protect our forces. We that we are doing that by seeking out these networks that are operating in Iraq. We are doing it through intelligence. We are then able, as we did on the 21st of December [2006], to go after these groups where we find them. In that case we then asked the Iraqi government to declare them personna nongratta and expel them from the country because they were holding diplomatic passports.
But what is really being contemplated here in terms of these networds is that believe we can do what we need to do inside Iraq. Obviously the president isn't going to rule anything out to protect our troops, but the plan is to take down these networks in Iraq.
The broader point is that we do have and always have had as a country very strong interest and allies in the gulf region. And we do need to work with our allies to make certain that they have the defense capacity that they need against growing Iranian military buildup, that they feel that we are going to be a presence in the Persian Gulf region as we have been, and that we establish confidence with the states with which we have had long aliances, that we will help to defend their interests. And that is what the President had in mind.
[Senator Joseph Biden]
Secretary Rice, do you believe the president has the constitutional authority to pursue across the border into Iraq or Syria the networks in those countries?
[Secretary Rice]
Well, Mr. Chairman, I think I would not like to speculate on the President's constitutional authority, or to try and say anything that certainly would abridge his constitutional authority, which is broad as Commander in Chief.
I do think that everyone will understand that the American people, and I assume the Congress,
expects the President will do what is necessary to protect our forces.
[Senator Joseph Biden]
Madame Secretary, I just want to make it clear, speaking for myself, that if the president
concluded he had to invade Iran or Syria in pursuit of these networks, I believe the present authorization granted the president to use force in Iraq does not cover that, and he does need Congressional authority to do that. I just want to set that marker.
Let me move on. How long do you estimate American forces will be going door-to-door with their Iraqi counterparts in Baghdad, before they can, I believe the phrase is, secure, or clear, hold, and build. What is the estimate of how long it will take to clear, and how long are we prepared to hold American forces in Baghdad that are being surged?
[Secretary Rice]
Well, I can't give you an exact time table on how long operations might take. Let me just note that the Iraqis are in the lead on these Baghdad operations, and I think that one reason that it is extremely important that they are bringing some of their best forces from around Iraq to participate in this, to lead this effort, is that a good deal of the establishing of confidence in these neighborhoods has been done by Iraqis. We will be in support of them.
But I think that it's extremely important to have an image in mind: that it is Iraqis who are expected to take census, after all they are the ones with the linguistic skills to do so, it is Iraqis who are expected to be in these neighborhoods. The problem with previous Baghdad security plans were there weren't enough forces to hold. I think that it is important that it will be a combination of forces: Iraqi forces, army, police, and national police, and local police. But we want to be certain this time that the holding phase lasts long enough for the Iraqis to be able to deal with the perpetrators of the violence. So I don't want to put a time frame on it. Secretary Gates said early today that he expects this to be, of course, a temporary measure, while Iraqi forces are brought up to speed ...
[Senator Joseph Biden]
Secretary Rice, I think you're right, it's important to have a visual image of what this means. Six point two million people. Civil war, a sectarian war, taking place. And here is what the President said last night, referring to our surge troops. The vast majority of them, five brigades, will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and will be embedded in their formations.
No American should misunderstand what that means. It means that young Marines are going to be standing next to an Iraqi soldier as they break down a door. So, I want to know, and you've answered it, my question related to, how long we think these Marines and these five brigades are going to be kicking in doors, standing on street corners, patrolling neighborhoods, going to second-storey walk-ups, et cetera. And that was the reason for my question. But you're right. It's important we have the correct image of what this is. And that's what it is.
[Secretary Condoleezza Rice]
It is important that we have the correct image, that Iraqis want to have this be their responsibility.
[Sen Joseph Biden]
Are you confident, you personally, Madame Secretary, this is going to be my concluding question, are you confident that Maliki has the capacity to send you a sufficient number of troops that will stay in the lead, that will allow American Marines to feel that their physical security is not being jeopardized merely by being with this brigade of Iraqis? Are you confident they will send a sufficient number, and their best?
[Secretary Condoleezza Rice]
Most importantly, General Casey and our ambassador believe strongly that the Maliki government intends to live up to its obligation...
[Sen Joseph Biden]
But I'm asking you, Secretary...
[Secretary Condoleezza Rice]
I have met Prime Minister Maliki. I was with him in Amman. I saw his resolve. I think he knows that his government is, in a sense, on borrowed time, not just in terms of the American people, but in terms of the Iraqi people.
[Sen Joseph Biden]
But are you confident?
[Secretary Condoleezza Rice]
I am confident.
[Sen Joseph Biden]
Thank you very much.
