Dear Interested Readers,
We have an array of fascinating stories. Yes there are still tragic events happening, because the enemy of freedom doesn't want Iraq to succeed, but it is succeeding with extraordinary progress being made every day. I know that the story of the local collectives working together to improve the lot of farming is long, but so interesting, as well as the story on improving the health and welfare of the Iraqi people. The Marines turning over their JSS in Ramadi to the IP is another success story. It was a banner day for positive stories.
Joanna
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
March 25, 2008
Local collectives work together for common goals
TIKRIT - The Ninewah Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) has been working to join hundreds of northern Iraqi farmers together, regardless of ethnicity, tribe or religious backround, to create 3 farmer's assocs.
"We have found some true leaders of various communities willing to cross community, ethnic and sectarian bounds and work together across the entire community to get these groups involved," said Michael Hankey, Dept. of State officer in charge of the economic section of the Ninewah PRT. "There is a commitment and eagerness of each organization to find ways to work together to find community wide solutions."
The PRT donated nine 80-horsepower, four-wheel drive, Iraqi-built tractors to the 3 farming assocs. in the hopes that more local investors will be encouraged by the PRT's investment and invest their own money into the economy.
Local Iraqi businessman George Kako more than matched the PRT's investment. Kako is one of 7 board members on one of the assocs. called the Brotherhood Union for Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection. "People have made empty promises to us in the past, but thanks to the PRT, this time we have received the tractors and we are moving
forward," Kako said. "These tractors will plow the land much deeper, allowing the soil to retain moisture much longer, allowing the seeds to grow much stronger yielding better crops."
"The land is very tired," said Anwar Kako, cousin of George Kako and member of the organization. "Originally we had primitive harvesting and plowing tools, but these tractors will dig the soil much better. When we finish with the tractors, we will take them to other farms in the community and allow them to use them so that our whole community is more productive."
Iraq's harsh climate can make it difficult to produce healthy, frequent and consistent crops. The hot, arid summers make farming heavily dependant on the rain. Fertilizers are required to make the soil usable. "Things like fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation systems will be cheaper to purchase because together as an organization we will buy in bulk," said Anwar Kako. "We are working together to buy sprayers and wells so that we don't rely on rain and fertilizer for better soil."
This is just the beginning of this agricultural community, but farmers and the U.S. Dept. of State are committed to these association's causes and are working for a brighter future, regardless of culture or religious beliefs. "We are hopeful that this country will experience the agriculture revolution that many European countries have experienced," said Kako. "As Iraqis, multi ethnicity is a part of who we are. It's the terrorists who imported all of these ideas of hatred from abroad. We ourselves are one country irrespective of our creed or our origin."
Word of the org's success is spreading across northern Iraq and several more assocs. are surfacing, 18 more in Ninewah Province over the last six weeks. "We're very happy that Iraqis across the province are already reaching out to each other to find an institutional response to some of their hardest economic questions," said Hankey. "We are really
encouraged that this idea is taking off. Every week we are finding out that there are more and more farmers throughout the province who are looking at copying this model and finding that putting local cooperation into finding common responses to shared problems can help them address some of their most urgent needs."
An Iraqi farmer plows his land.
A young Iraqi farmer's son sits on top of a tractor.
Local businessman George Kako presents a certificate of appreciation to Jason Hyland of the Dept. of State PRT, for his efforts to assist several farmers associations across Ninewah province, Iraq.
Iraqi Sunnis, Shias and Christian members of the Brotherhood Union for Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection dig into an traditional Iraqi meal with members of the U.S. Dept. of State PRT, March 20 in Mosul, Iraq.
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Marines demilitarize station in Ramadi
RAMADI - Marines with 1st Bn, 8th Marine Regt, recently de-militarized JSS Steel.
Joint security stations are designed to embed Marines with their Iraqi SF counterparts, and further develop a close working relationship.
"We started out constantly patrolling when we first got here, mostly by ourselves," said Lance Cpl. Chris Hopkins, a 21-year-old machine gunner. "After months of hard work alongside the IPs, they've taken the lead role and we're serving more as advisors."
Demilitarizing JSS Steel will have a significant impact on the local economy. "The people will have more freedom of movement and civil military ops projects will allow people to return their businesses to the surrounding neighborhoods," said 1st Lt. Matthew
Johnson, a Co exec. officer. "Just opening streets will affect the entire town," said
Johnson, who supervised much of the Co's civil military ops. "New stores opening will encourage people to come back."
The demilitarization of JSS Steel is yet another sign of progress in the capital of the Anbar province. It marks another progressive step in Ramadi - a source of pride for these
Marines. "We'll continue our operations in the area," said Johnson. "But, I'll come back in a couple of weeks to see how much the area has changed for the better."
Marines take down concertina wire as part of the process of demilitarizing JSS Steel.
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IA Eng. School graduates engineers for the first Infrastructure Repair Bn
The Engineer School is celebrating the graduation of 125 Iraqi students who will become Soldiers in the first Infrastructure Repair Battalion in the Iraqi Army. This is a media release.
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11 detained after mortar attack on FOB Falcon
FOB KALSU - 11 suspected criminals were detained by Coalition and IA forces March 21, four kilometers south of FOB Falcon. Those detained are suspected to be a part of a criminal cell responsible for a mortar attack directed at FOB Falcon earlier in the day.
Pilots from the Combat Aviation Bde, 3rd ID provided air support to soldiers on the ground after the attack and witnessed a truck, believed to be carrying the mortar team, moving from the probable point of origin to a section of houses about a half-kilometer to the west.
Coalition and ISF searched 14 houses in the area, resulting in the detention of 11 suspected criminals.
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CF re-open damaged bridge
MOSUL - CF re-opened a critical traffic route between Tal Afar and Mosul March 23.
Soldiers from the 43rd Combat Eng. Co. installed the Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge, or AVLB, on the Badoush Bridge to restore vehicle travel. This saves vehicles several hours of delays caused by detours.
"The emplacement of the AVLB, along with the IA outposts on the Talafar highway, allows CF and the citizens of Iraq a trafficable route that will allow commerce to start flowing back into Mosul from the west without having to bypass to the south, said Capt. Jerry Jones, the Co's cmdr. "This is not only a step to increase Iraqi commerce, but also tells the insurgents that no matter what they do and no matter how many bridges they try to blow up, they will not succeed."
The AVLB is an interim repair for the bridge. CF and the Iraqi govt are working on plans for permanent repairs to the bridge.
Soldiers from the 43rd extend the AVLB over a hole on the Badoush Bridge.
Vehicles line up to cross the Badoush Bridge March 23.
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Hillah SWAT detains suspected terrorist, discovers large cache
HILLAH - Hillah SWAT and IP forces, working with CF, detained an individual and
discovered a large weapons cache while conducting patrols in the Hamza and Hashimiyah areas March 22.
The detained individual is accused of directing the planting of IEDs on routes used by Iraqi SF and CF. The cache contained multiple rockets of various sizes, anti-personnel mines, hundreds of rocket propelled grenade rounds, mortar rounds, hand grenades and other materials, including 22 122 mm rockets with 50 complete rail systems, 200 pounds of C-4 explosives, 15 120 mm mortar rounds, 20 Katyusha rounds and three RPG launchers.
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CF kills 4 suspected AQI members in Diyala Province
TIKRIT - MND-North soldiers killed at least 4 suspected AQI members, wounded one, and detained 8 during two different engagements March 23 in Diyala Province.
During an IA-led clearing op in Qasaibah, near Muqdadiyah, an MND-N Apache helicopter fired on an enemy ambush position, killing 3. Two more suspected terrorists fled the area and were again engaged by an Apache air weapons team.
MND-N soldiers killed one insurgent and wounded another during an op targeting a known AQI safe house. Soldiers of 4th Stryker BCT, 2nd ID from Fort Lewis, Wash., also detained 8 suspected AQI terrorists at the safe house.
"In conjunction with the Iraqi SF, we have made remarkable gains against terrorists in Diyala," said Maj. Mike Katona, ops officer for the 4-2 SBCT, the CF unit responsible for Diyala province. "While al-Qaeda in Iraq is still capable of isolated spectacular attacks, they are definitely feeling the pressure here in Diyala, as evidenced by the 70 percent reduction in attacks in the province since June 2007."
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Apache crews destroy enemy rocket-launching rails
BAGHDAD - MND-Baghdad attack helicopter crews destroyed 10 rocket-launching rails northeast of Baghdad that enemy forces had been using to launch rocket attacks March 23. Apache helicopter crews from 4th "Longknife" Sqdrn, 3rd Armored Cav Regt, Task Force XII, reported seeing rockets launched from the area earlier that evening.
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Coalition forces engage suspected IED emplacers in Basra
BAGHDAD - CF killed 5 suspected IED emplacers and wounded several others after 10 individuals were spotted conducting suspicious activity in the Al Hyyaniyah District,
Basra, March 24. After verifying the individuals were burying what appeared to be
an IED, CF directed aerial fires against the enemy force.
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MND-N hosts United and Healthy Conference, discuss public health issues
TIKRIT - The Task Force Iron medical team hosted a United and Healthy Conference at the main dining facility on COB Speicher March 23.
The conference was designed to bring together and engage Director Generals of Health, the Ministry of Health, PRTs and U.S. medical personnel in a forum where they could present their issues and recommend solutions to the Ministry of Health regarding concerns.
"Today's event marks a historic moment in Iraq's history," said Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, 1st Armored Div and Task Force Iron cmdrr. "Their presence today demonstrated the strength and determination of the Iraq govt and the people they represented."
The conference gave key leaders a new understanding into the dynamics of provincial, regional, and national processes and systems that will allow MND-North's leadership to develop long-term solutions that will assist in the improvement of the Iraqi healthcare system.
Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, speaks to a group of doctors and health officials.
U.S. military leaders and Iraqi health officials gathered in an important step in
the effort to develop Iraq into an independent and self-sustaining nation.
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