Posted on 05/13/2003 11:03:29 AM PDT by fightinJAG
101st Airborne Helps Reopen Iraqi-Syrian Border Crossing
May 13, 2003
MOSUL, IRAQ (AP) -- U.S. troops have reopened a border crossing between Iraq and Syria.
The commander of the Army's 101st Airborne Division says any trade will be done in accordance with United Nations regulations.
Major General David Petraeus is referring to the sanctions that ban shipments of weapons and other restricted material to Iraq.
The general is also the commander of Fort Campbell on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, where the 101st is based.
Petraeus says re-establishing trade is another move toward bringing northern Iraq back to normal.
He says the 18,000 U.S. troops in his command have accomplished a great deal. He says they've established stability in the area and helped restore basic services. He says most of the city of Mosul has power and water service.
Also, Petraeus says local Iraqi government workers now are beginning to get paid. He says the money is from a stash protected by a local bank official and U.S. soldiers.
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