Four Iraqi Nahia Councilmen Meet With Commanders
Baghdad
The mayor of Mahmudiyah and three other Mahmudiyah Qada Council members met together with representatives from the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
Major Robert Bertrand and Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Dolwick met with the nahias of Yusufiyah, Al Rasheed, Lutifiyah, and Mahmudiyah to talk about progress being made in the area and goals for the region. Major Bertrand is Brigade Civil Operations Officer, and Colonel Dolwick is Deputy Commanding Officer, respectively, of 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
The Mahmudiyah Mayor, Jabbar Farraj Mullah Al-Klabi started the meeting off by discussing and describing some of the various jobs and duties that each of the different councilmen have to the citizens in their own Nahias. We believe this will be a year of great development and peace, said Mayor Al-Klabi. We have worked to make security strong, and it has been for quite some time now. Now is the time for our people here in Iraq to stand up and help their government work,? said Al-Klabi.
We are very pleased and impressed to see the people begin to accept responsibility for themselves, and begin to cut off ties with America financially,? said Major Bertrand. They are beginning to be able to stand independent and solve their own problems, this gives us a lot of motivation to help them continue to reach their goals,? said Major Bertrand.
The Mahmudiyah Qada area was previously known as the Triangle of Death, because of all the hard fought battles against the insurgency, and the network of safe houses that Al-Qaeda maintained in the area. Since the improvements in security, the governors and leaders have began to refer to it as the Circle of Peace,? as they continue their road to reconciliation and peace.