Good News From Iraq

First province under total Iraqi control

SAMAWAH - Hundreds gathered in Samawah, the capital of al-Muthanna province in southern Iraq, to witness the formal passing of responsibility for security and governance from Coalition forces to Iraqi control today.

Al-Muthanna is the first of Iraq’s 18 provinces to have complete responsibility for its own security.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attended the ceremony along with other Iraqi government officials.

Air Force Major Gen. Kurt A. Cichowski, Multi-National Force – Iraq deputy chief of staff for strategy, plans and assessment, also attended the ceremony and said al-Muthanna's success is an important step forward for Iraq.

“First one down, 17 to go,” said Cichowski who oversaw the effort leading up to the transfer.

“Next week we start working on the rest of them,” he said.

British and Australian troops are slated to move their operations to other areas of the country, while more than 600 Japanese troops are already in the process of deploying home.

Since January, more than 3,000 police officers and 1,800 Iraqi Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 10th Iraqi Army Brigade have been trained to handle al-Muthanna’s security.Citizens, policemen and Soldiers attending the ceremony cheered and pumped their fists in jubilation after Al-Maliki promised unwavering government support to the province of more than 500,000.

“We promise to give you what you need to fight the terrorists,” al-Maliki said.

** Now for some reason the BBC our state broadcaster and supporter of islamic terror/anti us/anti Isarel spin failed to even mention this on the news today.

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