BAGHDAD — The U.S. Army has handed over the security of a major part of Baghdad to
Iraq's military.
In what was termed one of the largest transfers of operations, the
U.S.-led coalition handed over security responsibility for several parts of
Baghdad to the Iraq Army. The areas where Iraqi authorities would assume
responsibility were identified as western Baghdad and eastern Abu Ghraib.
The handover was conducted by the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division. In a ceremony on March 2, the Iraq Army's Sixth
Division, 3rd Brigade, assumed security responsibility, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We are comrades," Iraqi Brig. Gen. Aziz Noor, commander of the 3rd
Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, said. "The Iraqi army and the American
forces
are brothers. We bleed together. We shed tears over the same fallen
comrades."
Officials said the transfer of security responsibility was one of the
largest since 2004. They said western Baghdad and Abu Ghraib contained key
facilities and marked a major test of the Iraqi security forces.
"The American forces are giving freedom back to the people of Iraq, just
as they did in Japan, Germany and Korea," Aziz said. "We are receiving this
area of responsibility and the job to protect it. God willing, we will be
able to do so."
The Iraqi and U.S. brigades have been patroling Baghdad since mid-2005.
The U.S. 1st Brigade helped train and mentor the Iraqi 3rd Brigade.
"Never have I seen a group of soldiers learn so quickly and advance so
efficiently," U.S. Army Col. Jeffrey Snow, 1st BCT commander, said.
