Yep, The man to see
He's the guy in charge of all U.S. military operations in Iraq. Name? Gen. John Vines
Last month, about a mile from the Khadamiya mosque, a center of Shiite religious life in Baghdad, American soldiers gathered with Iraqi commanders at an old military base to discuss how to prepare for Ashura, a Shiite religious celebration that would draw thousands to the neighborhood. In front of a table displaying a satellite image of the area, Col. Mark Milley of the 10th Mountain Division stood with Brig. Gen. Faisal Kasim Alewy, the commander of an Iraqi militia. As Iraqi and American officers listened, Alewy outlined how he planned to protect the mosque from insurgent attacks.
This is what Lt. Gen. John Vines, the new American commander responsible for day-to-day military operations in Iraq, says he wants to see more of: Iraqis and Americans working together to plan missions, and Iraqi forces taking more responsibility to protect key sites. The Ashura planning turned out to be a success, sort of; 23 Iraqi civilians and one American soldier were killed in a suicide attack, but Alewy's forces kept insurgents away from the mosque. Vines also points to successful efforts by Iraqis to protect mosques in Najaf and Karbala. "If you look at Ashura . . . though there was loss of life, the Iraqi security forces performed brilliantly," Vines says. "They have shown they are capable of great things."
Transition. During the next year, the top priority for the American commanders will be figuring out how to perfect this relationship. Vines held a conference this month with American and Iraqi military commanders to review their responsibilities and operations. Already, Iraqi duties are growing: Last week, the Iraqi Army helped with security for the opening session of the new National Assembly, arresting suspects throwing grenades and a man transporting mortar tubes. "The most important thing is that the Iraqi citizens believe that they are in control of their own destiny," Vines says. "So what they will see throughout the coming months, and years, are Iraqi police and the Army providing security throughout the area."
Although no one doubts the wisdom of training the Iraqi Army, there are questions about the process. Anthony Cordesman, a former Defense Department official, says Iraqis believe some of the American trainers are unprepared or treat them unfairly. Still, despite concerns about the Iraqi forces' capabilities, Cordesman says the Iraqi officials believe their Army is growing stronger.
Other military experts want to see American commanders discuss more than just building up the Iraqi Army. Andrew Krepinevich, executive director of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, says U.S. commanders need to start talking about how they plan to use the Iraqi Army to defeat the insurgency. "You have to have a coherent strategy in a protracted conflict like this," Krepinevich said. "I don't see that kind of guiding hand." Some of those who know Vines feel he could be that "guiding hand." Buck Kernan, a retired general, says Vines is an expert planner. "His strategy will be twofold, how to defeat the terrorists and how to bring stability so we can withdraw," Kernan says. "He understands terrorism."
With his new post, Vines becomes the first general officer to command forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Steve England, who served as Vines's command sergeant major in Afghanistan, says the general moved easily between overseeing a combat mission, training the Afghan Army, and wooing recalcitrant warlords. "He'll fool you with the old country drawl," England says. "But he is very savvy. He understands the tactical requirements, and he understands the diplomatic requirements."
Vines's country drawl comes from having been raised in Alabama. Since leaving home, Vines, now 55, has served all over the world. He parachuted into Panama in 1989 as a battalion commander in the 82nd Airborne Division and led the same soldiers in the Gulf War.
His first weeks in Iraq have left him feeling optimistic, Vines says, in part because he believes the Americans have chosen the perfect thing in Iraq to pin their hopes on. "The Iraqi Army is held with considerable regard," he says. "They are respected by the populace." The coming year will test whether that judgment is right.
This story appears in the March 28, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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