By Spc. Rick Rzepka
124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
The 4th Iraqi Army Division assumed control of their area of responsibility, encompassing regions spanning three of Iraq’s northern provinces, Salah Ad Din, Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk provinces.
Its area of responsibility includes the cities of Tikrit, Kirkuk, Bayji and Samarra, as well as the major oil and electrical infrastructure in northern Iraq.
The 4th IA Division is the fifth of 10 Iraqi Army divisions to take control over Iraqi units in their assigned regions. In addition, there have been 25 brigades and 85 battalions assuming operational command and control to date.
"Today is a day of dignity for us Iraqis who are loyal to the motherland," said Lt. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Abdel-Rahman al-Mufti, commander of the 4th Iraqi Army Division. "We will not stop or look back," he said.
Two years ago, armed only with a briefcase and a few names, Aziz was asked to build a division from scratch. Today he stood before the Iraqi Minister of Defense Abdul Qadir Mohammed Jasim and dozens of his subordinate officers to claim the area that he and his men will fight for.
Aziz has continued to lead the way for the 4th IA Division despite 19 assassination attempts on his life.
"We keep going forward to build a new Iraq. Our motto is, and always will be: Unity is power. Unity for all denominations," he said.
There are more than 275,000 Iraqi security personnel who are tasked with the job of keeping Iraq's people safe, with about 115,000 of those in Iraq’s military and the remainder in it’s police forces.
"Gen. Aziz's Soldiers have been working hard to take control of this large, complex area and that day has come," said Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Turner, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division. "They have set the example."
While the Iraqi Army has taken the lead in security, help will still remain available to them, said Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commanding general of Multi-National Force - Iraq. "This is a step and we will help them become independent. We are going to do what it takes."
That help will come in the form of intelligence capabilities, logistics and medical care. "These things take a little longer to understand," said Casey.
“I think what you saw here today was a great statement in progress and unity in Iraq,” said Casey. “They (Iraqi's) keep taking small steps and getting better and better everyday.”
This significant step in self reliance is due to the stable command and control structure headed by a democratically elected government, said al-Rubaie. "Very soon, we will have command and control of Baghdad. Neighborhood by neighborhood, authority is being handed back to the Iraqis."
Rubaie also discussed a meeting that was held recently in which the heads of the sectarian militias gathered to discuss plans for peace.
"They have sworn on the Koran that they will stop killing each other. Arabs killing Arabs will not continue in this country."
“I think this is a good day for Iraq,” said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad. “The people of Iraq are starting to get organized so they can take on more responsibility for their own country.”
Also attending the ceremony was Iraqi Minster of Defense Gen. Abdul Quder Muhammed, the governors of Salah Ad Din, Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk provinces; and a host of local leaders.
The 4th IA Div. is the second division in Task Force Band of Brothers area of operations to make this transition.
The 5th IA Div. assumed the lead for security operations in Diyala Province in July. Throughout northern Iraq, 33 battalions, nine brigades and two divisions have demonstrated their ability to operate independently and now lead the fight against terrorists and anti-Iraqi forces.