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U.S. Army readies Iraqi brigade to take over in Sadr City

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, March 10, 2005

BAGHDAD – The Iraq Army has launched its 41st Brigade which is being pepared to assume responsibility for the toughest areas of Baghdad.

The 41st Brigade of the Iraqi Army was activated on March 3 at a training facility in Baghdad. Since November 2004, the brigade has been training with soldiers from the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry.

Later in March, the headquarters of the 41st Brigade has scheduled a command post exercise that would include U.S. trainers, Middle East Newsline reported. U.S. officials said the exercise would help determine the overall readiness of the Iraqi unit.

Officials said if the exercise proves successful and the unit is deemed ready, the brigade could be assigned responsibility over a sector of Baghdad by September 2005. That sector would include the Shi'ite-populated Sadr City, regarded as the most turbulent in the country.

Currently, the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team maintains responsibility over Sadr City and the area east of the Tigris River.

In February, the 40th Iraqi Brigade was given responsibility for downtown Baghdad, including Haifa Street. The brigade has come under numerous insurgency bombings over the last few weeks.

Officials said training of the 41st Brigade would include combat-oriented exercises. So far, U.S. trainers have focused on administration, logistics and noncommissioned officer and officer leadership.

Currently, only the headquarters element has been assigned to the newly activated 41st Brigade. Officials said five battalions would be assigned to the Baghdad area between June and July and that some of those soldiers have already been operating alongside coalition forces in combat operations.


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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