Posted on 02/03/2008 8:45:09 AM PST by SandRat
Capt. Craig Johnson, commander of the ‘Creek,’ Company C, from Manistique, Mich., said partnership between Coalition forces, Iraqi Security Forces, and the Concerned Local Citizens (CLC) is key to improving security in his unit’s part of Doura.
“The Concerned Local Citizens of Iraq have contributed a lot to the security improvements here,” he said. “In this neighborhood, there hasn’t been an incident now in three months. It takes cooperation between all three agencies.”
Johnson added that the Iraqi National Police (INP), known as ‘shurta,’ have also been a great asset in the fight.
“We’ve got excellent INPs; it’s really great to have them,” he said.
Kareem Muhammed, a member of the CLC in Doura, said the teamwork has led to improved security, but just as important, it has returned a feeling of normalcy to the troubled region.
“You see a lot of people in the streets. It feels good the way things are right now,” Muhammed said. “You see a lot of children playing and a lot of shop owners opening up again. The situation is very good.”
The citizen-soldier cited shops staying open later at night as an example of a return to the way things used to be.
“For a long time, all the shops were closing at four in the afternoon. For a long time, it was a very hard situation in the neighborhood,” Muhammed said. “Now I feel a lot of change; all the shop owners are open up until nine at night. The Iraqi security volunteers are patrolling the streets 24 hours a day.”
‘Creek’ company is continuing to contribute to the local citizens’ return to normal lives through facilitating the restoration of essential services in the region.
“Coalition forces emplaced a power generation station inside the neighborhood consisting of six generators. Currently it is not operating, but the community has come together to provide fuel for it,” Johnson said. “It should be operating this week, and they’ll be providing energy to more than 600 homes within the area. This is a short-term solution.
“The real solution is bringing the power-grid in. We’re doing whatever we can to provide electricity.”
In addition to addressing the electricity issues in the region, the unit is also working on economic solutions for their area of operations.
“Currently, we have five large projects planned to bring jobs into the region. The projects are focused on businesses within the neighborhood. We’re fixing up buildings in order to bring shops into old, abandoned buildings and for the people to run shops out of them. It’s to improve the look of the buildings and make sure they’re structurally sound,” Johnson said. “In addition to that, for small businesses that already exist, we’ve given out 25 grants for small businesses. What that’s doing is bringing jobs for the long-term sustainment of the economy.”
The grants are funds anywhere from $100 to $5,000 granted based on need that can be used for anything from repairing shops to providing additional inventory.
With all the measures being taken, it’s still tough to place a time on when restoration of the ‘Creek’ Company’s area will be complete, Johnson said.
“The children go to school, the marketplace is thriving. With time and with the utilities and the electricity coming in, things will get back to normal,” he said. “Security opens the door to getting back to normal life.”
This is big. Doura was a very, very scary neighborhood in the not-too-distant past.
Iraqis are resilient. And they are also furious at what the AQ scum pulled at the pet markets Friday morning.
The angrier the Iraqis get at AQ, the more AQ scum gets eliminated.
More good news from Iraq...classified TOP SECRET by MSM.
The MSM will have to work over time to keep any news from leaking out. After all Obama wants to withdraw our troops asp.
Imagine if Charlie Rangle is given the DoD position.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.