[Blitzer:] In news around the world, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wrapped up his landmark visit to Iraq today with some sharp jabs at the United States. He noted that he was able to travel openly, compared to what he called the "stealth visits" by American leaders. And referring to the U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Ahmadinejad said and I'm quoting now "no one likes them," adding that "they should leave." Let's talk about this. Let's talk about what's going on in Iraq right now. Joining us, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, who's just wrapped up a 15 months' tour of duty in Iraq as the number two U.S. military commander on the scene. General Odierno, thanks very much for joining us. Welcome back to the United States.
[Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, U.s. Army:] Thank you, Wolf. Appreciate it.
[Blitzer:] Well, what do you think about this Ahmadinejad sworn enemy of the United States receiving this very warm reception, red carpet reception hugs and kisses by President Talabani, by Nuri al- Maliki, the prime minister? Is this what the United States went to war for?
[Odierno:] Well, I would just say it's important for Iraq to maintain good relations with its neighbors. And Iran is a neighbor. It is somebody that they will continue to deal with for the year. So I do think it's important for them to have relationships with the leaders within Iran.
[Blitzer:] Is Iran playing a productive role, though, in Iraq? Because we've heard for a long time that Iranian weapons and forces were fuelling, at least in part, the insurgency. Has that ended?
[Odierno:] Well, no. I still think we have to continue to put pressure on the Iranian government to ensure that the funding, the equipping and the training of Iranian surrogates operating within Iraq, who still conduct attacks against both Iraqis and coalition forces. They are trying to destabilize, in some ways, the government of Iraq for the long-term. And I suggest that we just have to continue to pressure them. And, hopefully, behind closed doors, the Iraqi government did that today.
[Blitzer:] From the U.S. military perspective, is there any concern that you would see as this warm reception for Ahmadinejad in Iraq?
[Odierno:] Well, again, I would just say I think I think it's long-term relationships. They have to start establishing reestablishing their relationships with all of the Middle Eastern countries. And so I think as their neighbor, it's important that they do that, again. But they should pressure them to ensure that they stop funding, training and sending arms into Iraq, which does, in fact, have a destabilizing factor in Iraq.
[Blitzer:] Has that gotten better or gotten worse, the Iranian involvement in the insurgency?
[Odierno:] Well, yes, it's unclear. It's unclear. I mean, to me, there's we still have signs where they have been funding. They're still training. We are still finding Iranian-made mortars, rockets, explosively formed projectiles within Iraq. So, to me, they still are contributing to some of the instability. So it is, in fact, important that we continue to pressure them to play a productive role in Iraq, not a non-productive one.
[Blitzer:] This visit was announced weeks in advance. It was a high profile visit. And then he sort of flaunted it today, walking around the streets of Baghdad, in and out of the Green Zone, the most secure part of the Iraqi capital. When an American leader, including an American president comes, we're not even supposed to report it until he's there on the ground. Sometimes they're wheels up on the way back before we can report it. What exactly is going on right now?
[Odierno:] Well, I would just say, again, you know, one of the threats in Baghdad now we know that a majority of the threats over the last six months inside of Baghdad have come from Shia Iraq Shia extremist groups, those who tend to be funded and armed by Iran. So I would argue that maybe that's why he felt somewhat safe walking through Baghdad. So I would just say when we go into Iraq, you know, with our leaders, we're extra cautious and we'll continue to be extra cautious. To me, it doesn't mean much at all in terms of relationships or anything else.
[Blitzer:] What about troop withdrawals? We hear now that it's going to go down to about 140,000 U.S. troops by the summer. But then there will be a so-called pause for a while to reassess what's going on. The high was, what, 160,000, maybe even 170,000 U.S. troops, at the height of the surge. How long is that pause going to last?
[Odierno:] Well, I mean, I don't know. It will depend on the assessments that are done. There are major adjustments going. You know, if you asked 12 months ago, Wolf, to do an assessment of what it would be like today, very few people would have made the prediction of what's happening in Iraq today. So what I think is important, we have to constantly make assessments. And with those assessments, we will then make decisions on troop withdrawals. General Petraeus has a plan in place. He will make those assessments and then he will provide a report to the secretary of defense, the chairman and the president on what he decides. It's a continual assessment that's necessary, in my mind.
[Blitzer:] And what would happen if there were just a steady drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq, without any pause just to continue to bring those brigades home, brigade after brigade after brigade?
[Odierno:] You know, it depends on the conditions. If the conditions warrant it, then I think it's the right move. If the conditions are not quite ready yet and what do I mean by conditions? It's the Iraqi security force capacity. It's how local and central governance is working. It's how economic progress continues to grow. What we want to do is to continue on the glide path that we're on now one of continued security, improving security, one that the Iraqis are taking more control of. And as long as we can maintain those lines, then we'll make the appropriate assessment and recommendations forward.
[Blitzer:] General Odierno, first of all, let me thank you for your service over the past 15 months indeed, over the many, many years you've served in the U.S. military. And let me end this interview by saying what I said at the beginning, welcome back to the United States. Good luck on your next assignment.
[Odierno:] Thank you very much, Wolf. I appreciate it.
[Blitzer:] Critics say the news media gave him a free ride. But now Barack Obama is now coming under harsher scrutiny. We're going to show you what's changing and why. And find out why domestic eco-terrorists are suspected in a fire near Seattle. We'll tell you what investigators found. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.