Two stories from Iraq you probably won't hear about in the MSM

Iraqis, Coalition unite in poverty fight

 

26 October 2006

By Spc. Mike Alberts
3rd BCT, 25th Inf. Div PAO

KIRKUK

Kirkuk--Diversity is the mark of the province. Arabs, Christians, Kurds and Turkman coexist here with all their attendant cultural and religious nuances. Despite its many differences, however, there is a commonality among many of the region’s people, and that’s poverty.

Coalition Force religious leaders and representatives from Kirkuk’s Religious Unity Council met to discuss their joint, cooperative “mosque food-drop” for less-fortunate people here at the Al Rasheed Mosque Oct 12.

Chaplain (Maj.) Scott Sterling, brigade chaplain, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, greets Religious Unity Council Chief Sheik Ali Khalid. Photo taken by3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs.

  

The Kirkuk Religious Unity Council consists of local and regional Muslim and Christian religious leaders that formed an alliance after a diversity conference 18 months ago. Since then, the group meets regularly to discuss how the community’s religious leaders can positively affect Kirkuk, according to Chaplain (Maj.) Scott Sterling, brigade chaplain, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

“The council is a unique organization. Its membership includes all the different religious sects and ethnic groups of the area,” said  Sterling. “Through this humanitarian program they are recognizing the need to come together in a show of unity amidst their diversity for the needy people of the city. They have set aside their differences to do something good for their community,” he said.

According to Sterling, the program was planned to coincide with Ramadan. For Muslims, Ramadan is a month of blessing marked by prayer, fasting and charity. For that reason, religious leaders were determined to give gifts of food to the needy members of their congregations. Coalition Forces assisted by providing the food, which everyone seemed to appreciate.

“Your involvement in giving food is a very good thing,” said Sheik Ali Khalid through an interpreter. Ali Khalid is a Sunni Arab and the Religious Unity Council Chief. “Because it is during Ramadan my people will see that coalition forces are helping people. For that reason, this holiday is the perfect time to reach our people,” he said.
                                                         

50 food baskets including sugar, tea, rice and cooking oil are delivered to the doorstep of the Al Rasheed mosque, Kirkuk. Photo taken by3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs.

 

The religious partnership provided basic food staples like sugar, tea, rice and cooking oil, among other things, for 50 families per mosque. The program targeted 11 mosques here and five in the district of Hawija.

While providing food to the needy is the primary goal of the food drop, Chaplin Sterling emphasized an equally important goal.

“In this society, the people tend to listen to their religious leaders more than their political leaders. If we can empower the religious community, they could be a positive force in the city and for coalition forces,” said Sterling.

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Iraqi Army assumes responsibility of Northern Ramadi

24 October 2006

Multi-National Corps –

Iraq Press Release

RAMADI, Iraq

– The Iraqi Army assumed responsibility of an area in northern Ramadi Oct. 24, 2006. The 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Colonel Kareem, officially assumed battle space at a ceremony on forward operating base Blue Diamond.

“We will serve with honor,” Colonel Kareem reminded his Soldiers. “We have been given the great responsibility of being in charge of this area.”

 

 Staff Sgt. Daryl Bass of Task Force 1st Battalion 6th Infantry Regiment, hands off the official flag of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division, to the Iraqi Army color guard during a transfer of authority ceremony at forward operating base Blue Diamond on Oct. 23. The 3-1-7 IA will assume responsibility of an area in northern Ramadi, after only 11 months of training.

Task Force 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment has been partnered with 3-1-7 IA for the past five months and has witnessed the unit’s development. “This is a big step,” said Lt.Col. Daniel Walrath, Commander Task Force 1-6, “[They] are increasing their battle space by three fold [and] will develop concepts and plans of operation for northern Ramadi.”

 

Task Force 1-6 will continue to provide the Iraqi battalion support, but are confident about their progress. Colonel Kareem reinforced to the Iraqi Soldiers that they will continue to learn from their Coalition partners and make Ramadi a safer place.

The battalion recently proved their capabilities during a validation operation which resulted in the capture of four anti-Iraqi forces. The occasion marks the second battalion in two weeks Ramadi to assume battlespace and is an important step in the continuing development of the Iraqi Army and represents the future security of Iraq.<

Comments

[Specter]

Nice job Sara. I see that this has been up for quite a few hours and none of the lefty trolls have had the guts to try to naysay these US accomplishments. I suspect that they are out trying to figure out wording to make it look like a failure of US policy.

How about the news about the "ACORN for McCaskill" voting fraud? No trolls defending that either (or denying it).

[Albert]

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