U.S. commander: Iraqi government 'fragile'

TIKRIT, Iraq, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The outgoing U.S. commander in northern Iraq said Monday the Iraqi government is still "very fragile" but recent changes have been "monumental."

Speaking from Tikrit by teleconference to reporters in Washington, Army Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling said "There are still enemies that need to be destroyed (in Iraq). The Iraqi government is still very fragile. And there is a need to polish the representative process and methods of infrastructure repair."

Hertling is the commander of Multi-National Division-North, as well as the 1st Armored Division.

The general is turning over his command after 15 months.

"We began our deployment here a year ago September, taking responsibility for NMD-North about the same time the surge was taking effect in Baghdad. ... I believe the changes in northern Iraq over the last 15 months have been monumental," Hertling said,

Hertling said when he arrived "there were nearly 1,800 attacks per month. Last week, we had our lowest number of attacks in the north, with 108. ... There were four Iraqi army divisions in the north struggling to conduct operations above the company level, and there were about 55,000 Iraqi police. Nearly 75 percent of those were untrained."

Now, there are five Iraqi army divisions in the theater, he said, "conducting offensive operations at the brigade level, usually partnering with us, and they are beginning to build competent enablers. ... And there are 76,000 Iraqi policemen, and 70 percent of them are trained."