Haider Ajina's News From Iraq

Haider Ajina, an American of Iraqi heritage, writes from California:

Greetings,

The following is my translation of a headline and article in the October 4th edition of two Iraqi Arab newspapers ?Al-Mada & Sotaliraq? & in the Pan Arab newspaper ?Asharq Alawsat?. While the translation is from the ?Sotaliraq? paper the other two had the identical information with some more details.

"Iraqi Army officially receives responsibility for security in Baghdad"

"Iraq?s army sixth brigade received yesterday the responsibility for security of Baghdad from the multi national forces. This took place in an official ceremony in Baghdad Almuthena airport. General Daham Radhi Alaasal who represented the defense minister and a number of high-ranking officers from both militaries attended the ceremonies. Brigadier General Mahmood Mohamed Alshimery, commander of the sixth brigade, (which is responsible for the protection of Baghdad) said that his forces have received responsibility for security in the Kerch & Rasafeh boroughs of central Baghdad and will receive the suburbs in the near future. Alshimery added that the brigade has prepared a cohesive plan for the security of Baghdad. This is done by permanent check pints, daily and continuous foot & mechanized patrols. This hand over facilitates the gradual withdrawal of the multinational forces from Baghdad".

Haider's comments:

Here we have it. The security of most of Baghdad is being handed over to the Iraqi forces (whom we trained I might add). This is a very big step forward for the Iraqis and us. This is progress of monumental proportions since only 30 moths ago Saddam was still terrorizing the Iraqis, their neighbors and the region. Now let us see if we read, or hear anything about this in our media, and if we do will they call it a symbolic gesture? Or what it actually is, progress.

The following is my translation of a headline and article in the October 3rd edition of the Iraqi Arab newspaper ?Alsabah Algadeed?.

?Iraq arrests four terrorist one if which is an ?Amire? (commander) in ?Ansar Alsunnah?

The Iraqi army was able to free a personal guard who was kidnapped and held for a $300,000 ransom. While freeing the guard one of his kidnapper was killed. Major Ayad Al-Kanani spokes person for the Sixth Company; first brigade, said that the personal guard was freed as a result of locals tipping off the Iraqi Army. He added that the personal guard was working for FPS when he was kidnapped over a month a go; he was imprisoned shackled and tortured while he was held.

In Kurdistan a police patrol in Machmoore west of Arbile, arrested four terrorist suspects one of whom carried the title of ?Amire? (commander) of the terrorist group Ansar Alsunnah. They were arrested in the villages of Domeh Adries & Azizah Abdeh near Machmoore. This same police unit was bale to confiscate a large cash of weapons and ammunition and items used to make explosives such as TNT. This cash was in position of the terrorist suspects when they were arrested.

Iraqi special police units killed one terrorist and arrested another in Hai Aljamiaah area while they were abandoning a black Chevy Caprice. Three more terrorists were arrested in Mosul after being pursued. In Felujah Iraqi security arrested, after tips from citizens and surveillance, a terrorist suspected of recruiting civilians to work with him.

Haider's comments:

This is further evidence that Iraqi average citizens, in Felujah & Mosul (former terrorist hotbeds and strong Sunni cities) are joining the rest of Iraq in defeating terror. They obviously have confidence in the Iraqi security forces since they turn to them to fight the terrorists.

Why do they have confidence in the Iraqi security forces? Because they are capable, well trained and respect the rule of law.

Who trained these forces? We did.

Is this progress? I believe so.

The following is my translation of a headline and article in the October 3rd edition of the Iraqi Arab newspaper ?Almowaten?

?Iraq?s Aljaafary says it is time to be proactive instead of reactive in dealing with terror".

?Iraqi Prime minister Dr. Ibrahiem Aljaafary threatened any who are involved in terror with swift and strong punishment. He added:?Any area which defies the peaceful political process will be dealt with, just as we did with Telaafar. With strength determination and audacity, with no hesitation or differentiation between any Iraqi cities.

?The prime minister added that the government has transformed itself from being reactive to being proactive in its dealings with terror. The government will pursue and hunt terrorists. He added that he hoped that the Iraqi people will vote for the constitution to cut the road for those who seek to derail the political process in Iraq. He described the Iraqi constitution (even with its minor adjustments) as a mirror of Iraq reflecting the rights of all its minorities and personifies them. ?That in it self is a great achievement,? he said.?

Haider's comments:

The Iraqi government is taking the fight to the terrorist. Telaafar was a good example and other cities are next. Our training and logistical backing of the Iraqi security forces is allowing the Iraqis to take steps towards taking charge of their own security. Evidence of this is daily. We have handed over security of two provinces and plan to hand over 5 more to the Iraqis. We have given the prison management back to the Iraqis etc?. These are many steps forward and in the right direction for Iraq?s democratic political process. We are seeing four steps forward and one step back. Not two forward and three back as most of our media put it.

I do not understand why most of our media is so defeatist about our and the Iraqis progress in Iraq. Iraq?s progress in the last 30 months is phenomenal and far exceeds any progress of any other country after such brutal dictatorship and robbery of its national resources and treasures as was done by the Baathists in the last 30 plus years.

Regards
Haider Ajina