101st Airborne Assists In Bringing Local Iraqis Together
The members of the 101st Airborne, 3rd BCT worked together with the local Iraq Sheikhs and community leaders in Qarghuli to discuss a number of issues regarding security and local government. The local Sheikhs were pleased and surprised that the Iraqi government sought to get together with them, previously they had not been able to get an audience as easily as they wanted to.
“We are here to observe, not mediate,” said Colonel Dominic Caraccilo, Commander of the 3rd BCT. “Normally in the past I have had to come to these type of meetings and be a referee, today I didn’t have to do that.” Said Colonel Caraccilo. “The government has started to become involved with the local citizen groups, it’s a good idea and is working out better and better,” Said Colonel Caraccilo.
During the meeting between Government leaders and the local sheikhs and the Iraqi government representatives discussed a lot of different issues, including the local market that opened recently in Yusifiyah. They discovered many ways that security can be improved using the best efforts of Coalition Forces, and Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police forces.
The village of Yusifiyah has started to become a symbol for all of Iraq on how different tribes can be in the same location as well as coexist without any violence.