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Defense Department Report, July 14: Middle East, Asia Update

14 July 2005

Good progress reported on drafting Iraqi constitution

OFFICIALS EXPECT DRAFT OF IRAQI CONSTITUTION IN AUGUST

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Richard Myers, told reporters at the State Department’s Foreign Press Center in Washington July 14 that U.S. officials look forward to seeing the draft Iraqi Constitution next month.

Speaking later in the day at the Pentagon, spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told reporters that the Iraqis who are working to draft a new constitution are making considerable progress.

He said the U.S. commanding general of multinational forces in Iraq, General George Casey, has “a very good 'read'” on the process and says “progress is quite good.”

The objective is to have the drafting process completed by August 15, Di Rita said.

A constitutional referendum is planned for October.

Myers also noted that military responsibility for regional security has been turned over to Iraqi forces in three areas recently.  Two Iraqi brigades are now in control of areas in northern Baghdad and in Kirkuk, he said, and an Iraqi battalion has also taken over from Salvadoran troops in the central-south area of Diwaniya.  Di Rita said these developments indicate the maturation of Iraqi security forces.

Asked about recent British press reports that a substantial reduction of British troops is planned for Iraq, Myers said there is no timetable for the reduction of U.S. or coalition forces.

Asked about the situation along the Syrian-Iraqi border, Myers said the porous border is a huge problem.  While the Syrian government is not sponsoring insurgent travel to Iraq, he said, there are those inside Syria who are facilitating the movement of insurgents from Damascus to troubled Iraqi provinces.  “We need help,” he said.

UNITED STATES HAS NO TERRITORIAL DESIGNS IN ASIA

During his July 14 briefing, Myers said the United States has no territorial designs on Central Asia.

He said having a U.S. presence in the region is important for a variety of reasons that are not tied exclusively to U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.

While it is important to provide military support to “Operation Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan, he said, there are broader reasons for involvement regionally, including the requirement for ongoing military-to-military contacts with key nations.

Asked about China, Myers said he values work on transparency and confidence-building measures between the United States and that country.

On the Six-Party Talks about North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Myers said he does not believe the outcome of the next round can be predicted reliably.  He also pointed to past North Korean missile proliferation and said it is worrying that a nation that has nuclear fissile material might be a target for those who would wish to assemble a crude nuclear weapon or radiological device.

The full transcript of Myers’ briefing is available at the State Department Web site.  

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)