Posted on 02/06/2008 5:01:13 PM PST by SandRat
TIKRIT — Seven Northern provincial governors and their Iraqi Security Force leadership met here Feb. 4 for the second ‘United and Strong’ conference facilitated by Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, commander, Multi-National Division – North, and 1st Armored Division. The provincial governing body is being mentored by the U.S. State Department’s Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Coalition forces in each Northern province. All decisions regarding security, infrastructure, and economic issues in each province are currently being made at the central government level in Baghdad.
The ‘United and Strong’ conferences are allowing MND - North’s key military leadership to “consolidate and focus issues (which) encompass Iraq’s Northern provinces (and deliver them) to Iraq’s central government,” Hertling said. “Once priorities for projects and concerns are established, they are discussed by the governing provincial leadership. (These issues will be) presented to the central government, ‘as a Northern (bloc) issue,’” Hertling continued. “This is a way we can form a united front here in the north.”
The first conference, held last month, brought Northern tribal leadership together.
“The purpose of this meeting is not to air your desires or needs to benefit your province solely,” Hertling said. He explained that Iraq’s central government is inundated with issues and needs that effect 18 provinces. “It is overwhelming,” he said. By consolidating priorities that effect essential services that cross provinces such as electricity, key bridges and roads, as a united front, “this will narrow their focus and add more weight that will be felt,” he said, referring to Iraq’s central government located in Baghdad. He likened that to the provincial governors visiting the many villages and cities in their provinces. “You have to prioritize issues in each of those villages or cities you visit,” he said. “That is what we are trying to accomplish here.”
At the end of February, the next tier in this process will take place, bringing local ministries from Baghdad to the north to evaluate the seven provinces’ common issues and concerns for action and resolution.
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