NEWSWEEK: Are you where you expected to be at this point?
David McKiernan: I haven’t gone through an after-action review process yet. But I think at this point in the campaign, if you were to stand back from it six weeks ago and say at D plus 43 we’re here in Baghdad, we’re turning the lights back on, we’re getting power generation back on line, we’re working with water treatment, hiring local police and on and on and on–I think it’s a pretty remarkable achievement.
Was there a low point in the war for you?
No. Despite the decisiveness of the campaign, there was nothing easy about this. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into everything. But I was never uncomfortable with where we were at. I was never uncomfortable with what the tactical commanders were doing to fight the fight. I knew our logistics would sustain us. We had a couple of days of terrible sandstorms, where we had logistics support out there, but getting it [to the troops] was a challenge because of the weather. But it was all up there. So this business about an operational pause that was printed for a couple of days–that was all garbage.
Do you think Saddam Hussein is alive or dead?
I tell you the truth, honestly, I don’t know. I’ve heard everything from he’s under the rubble somewhere to he’s out of the country somewhere else. I don’t know. Saddam, [his sons] Uday and Qusay have not been found. But they will [be], eventually.
What’s the biggest clue you’ve got so far confirming the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction?
We’ve found lots of evidence so far of laboratory equipment, of documents that we’re still going through to try to exploit for evidence of that material, but I think we haven’t found yet the big, hard evidence. But I think that will come, over time.
Let’s put it in perspective. He had at least the last 10 years experience in moving stuff around so he could avoid inspections, so he has a pretty high degree of proficiency at that. As Iraqis continue to come forward to provide information on the program, that will be a long term [process.] This whole country is a series of ammo and weapons storage [facilities,] so it’ll take a while.
How do you see things going now that President George W. Bush has declared major combat over?
I’ve always said the success of the campaign resides in what we’re doing right now. We have to provide a level of stability and security inside of Iraq so that future government can assure that businesses, culture and education rejuvenates and Iraq becomes a stable country in this region. Right now there’s a period of power vacuum where there’s not an Iraqi government right yet. We’re trying to get the civil administration back on its feet. We’re trying to ensure stability and security across Iraq. But there are still pockets, there are still regime loyalists, there still are foreign forces, there’s crime. But every day is a step in the right direction. The vast majority of the Iraqi people are delighted they no longer have Saddam Hussein in charge in this country. Over the next couple of months, [as] the right conditions are set, this will transition from military primacy to civil administration.
How long will the transition take?
I hope to see over the next couple of months that the right conditions are met for the economy and civil administration and governance.
How do you decide when local groups step over the line and you have to intervene?
That’s easy. The authority in Iraq right now is the Coalition. Those who try to make moves that are not authorized by the Coalition, are in violation. Until there is an interim government [we will intervene.] Institutions or groups that try to take matters into their own hands are in trouble. You have to have quite a presence in the country to make sure that doesn’t happen, there will be instances where people do try to move into that power vacuum and we will have to react to that. Nobody can say that ’this Iraqi doesn’t go to work and I want that Iraqi to go in his place.’ Nobody can say that ‘I authorize these 100 followers of mine to carry automatic weapons.’ Nobody can say that ’the money in that bank is mine and I’ll do with it whatever I want.’ That’s crossing the line, and won’t be tolerated.
Are there other groups that you’re worried about now that the self-proclaimed mayor of Baghdad, Mohammed Zubeidi, is out of the way?
We’re worried about what are still pockets of Baathists. There hasn’t been a prison yet that had any prisoners in it, so we’re worried about that. We’re worried about black marketing. We worry about foreign influences that come in. We’re worried about certain local influences [that have to be controlled.] This is the first couple weeks of democracy and all sorts of people want to put their views forth.
Soldiers have asked us to ask you when they’re going home.
They ask me that too and I tell them when the mission is done, and as soon as we can. But we’re going to be here a while. I would expect over the next months forces [will be drawing down] but it’s conditions-based. The key to the whole thing is Iraqis stepping forward and taking control of their country. You get institutions like a police force, ministries, local and national governments up and running, then Iraqis are in control of their own country and their destiny and we can go home.
There’s a rumor that the former Minister of Information, Mohammad Saeed al-Sahaf–the one who on April 8 said “I triple guarantee you there are no Americans in Baghdad,”–tried to surrender, but was crushed to find out he wasn’t on the list of 55 Most Wanted.
Troops driving around tell me if they capture him they’re going to put him on Saturday Night Live. They’ll call him Comical Ali.
