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Posted on 10/19/2007 7:03:40 PM PDT by SandRat
AL HILLAH — In an Oct. 12 graduation ceremony, the first 155 members of the new al Hillah Community Watch Organization pledged to keep their community safe from terrorists.
The ceremony was attended by the mayor of al Hillah, the commander of Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics, Brig. Gen. Abbas Al-Jebory and U.S. Special Forces leaders, who served as advisers during the implementation and five weeks of training for the CWO members.
The new CWO is an important milestone of cooperation between the Government of Iraq and the people of al Hillah as it gives the local population an opportunity to play a more active role in their own security.
The senior U.S. SF commander in al Hillah praised the efforts of the community emphasizing it’s significance in al Hillah and Babil province.
This is the first of several CWO programs being implemented by local communities throughout the south-central area of Iraq.
Through this program, the community can increase security in their neighborhood and feel safer in their homes. This initiative serves to discredit criminal terrorists while offering employment to the citizens of al Hillah. It is the first real opportunity for concerned citizens to take part and assist the Government of Iraq in providing much-needed security.
The training has already resulted in the CWO members assisting in the capture of three assassination cell members Oct. 3 before they even graduated.
This is not the first community relations project that the neighborhood has participated in. The U.S. SF unit and their partners in the al Hillah SWAT have already sponsored four medical outreach clinics for the community since its inception Aug. 8. More than 400 Iraqis have received in-house medical care from U.S. Special Forces medics and the U.S. Army 478th Civil Affairs Battalion.
The medical outreach programs were envisioned as the first step in a program to bring Iraqi citizens from surrounding neighborhoods into greater contact with Coalition Forces and al Hillah SWAT members. Once local families were able to receive free medical exams and basic care, their perceptions of forces began to change.
Over a period of several weeks mortar attacks began to diminish significantly and al Hillah SWAT leaders were able to begin discussions with Muqtars - local neighborhood leaders - about starting a community watch program to further drive a wedge between the competing insurgents and the local populace.
Brig. Gen. Abbas believed this was one of the most important initiatives developed by his SWAT and American partners in breaking the strangle-hold of the criminal militias held over the people of al Hillah.
“We look forward to working with our Special Forces brothers and al Hillah concerned citizens to take back our homes from the criminals,” Abbas said. “I hope this success leads to even more programs like (CWO) being built.”
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