thedrifter
12-22-06, 09:57 AM
Posted: 12-22-2006
Euphrates River city’s local leaders meet with U.S. Marines, Iraqi police in Anbar Province — a step toward progress, U.S. military says
By Lance Cpl. Nathaniel Sapp
Combat Correspondent
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
RAWAH, Iraq — For the first time in recent months, local Iraqi leaders and officials here met with U.S. Marines and Iraqi Police, showing a dramatic increase in locals’ willingness to work openly with Coalition Forces.
The meeting is the second between U.S. military leadership and local officials in two days.
On Nov. 28, U.S. Marines here met with the city’s elected government leaders — another first in talks that both sides are hoping will continue as U.S. and Iraqi leaders in this city of 20,000 strive toward improving local infrastructure, economy, and government.
“We had to have security before we could start helping develop the local economy,” said Lt. Col. Austin E. Renforth, commanding officer of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, the U.S. military unit responsible for providing security — alongside Iraqi Security Forces — to this region located 150 miles northwest of Baghdad.
In this region, successful security operations by both the Marines and Iraqi Security Forces during the past three months have emboldened locals to take a bigger part in stabilizing their city, according to Renforth, a Wheeling, W. Va., native.
Until recently, locals feared insurgents would retaliate against their families if they helped stabilize the region, the Iraqi school officials said during the meeting. It’s a common tactic insurgents use to keep locals from cooperating with Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, what U.S. military leaders call a “murder and intimidation” campaign.
But in Rawah, a city which borders the Euphrates River in western Al Anbar Province, establishing security has taken the combined, and frequent, presence of both U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces.
Now, both sides are seeing their long hours patrolling in humvees and on foot finally pay off.
“I sleep peacefully when I see the Marines on their patrols,” said one local Iraqi, who chose to remain anonymous.
The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd LAR Battalion, which includes Maj. Sean Quinlan of Scottville who commands a company in Iraq, has spent about three months ousting insurgents, mentoring Iraqi soldiers and police, and providing security to a region that has been a hot spot for insurgents in western Al Anbar Province.
“That’s what we have done since we got here three months ago, now it’s time for us to move forward,” Renforth told Iraqi school officials during the meeting.
Until recently, the Marines had trouble just finding the city’s influential community members, let alone meeting them, Marines here say.
Though the meetings are milestones in developing further relations between U.S. and local leaders here, that’s not a reason for U.S. and Iraqi forces to let up on continuing to provide security, according to Renforth.
“We have to remain vigilant in order to keep the city this way,” he said during the meeting.
The meeting with school officials turned from talk on local school issues, to other city matters, such as the need to get local banks up and running again — a problem Marines here recently discovered.
As of now, money for the city’s sole bank is sent from other cities. The money, though, is not reaching Rawah citizens — insurgents hijack and rob the trucks. The lack of money in the city forces local citizens to sometimes find illegal work to make end’s meet, from illegal oil trade to assisting insurgent activities.
Iraqis and Coalition Forces agreed that having a more functional and secure banking system should be a top priority, as it would allow citizens to have stable distribution of legitimate income, rather than resorting to “black market” trading.
Following the meeting with school officials, Marines and Iraqi police passed out candy and toy balls to local children just getting out of their daily classes.
Just a few months ago these classes wouldn’t have been possible, as the threat of violence was too great, according to the same anonymous Iraqi.
Recently, Marines found two improvised explosive devices near the school. Since then, the Marines have taken extra effort to secure the area, which has allowed the schools to reopen, said Renforth.
“I’ve been (to Iraq) a couple times now, and every time I return, I’ve seen the country get better and better,” Renforth told the Iraqi school officials. “We are the right people for this job and we will see it accomplished.”
Ellie
Euphrates River city’s local leaders meet with U.S. Marines, Iraqi police in Anbar Province — a step toward progress, U.S. military says
By Lance Cpl. Nathaniel Sapp
Combat Correspondent
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
RAWAH, Iraq — For the first time in recent months, local Iraqi leaders and officials here met with U.S. Marines and Iraqi Police, showing a dramatic increase in locals’ willingness to work openly with Coalition Forces.
The meeting is the second between U.S. military leadership and local officials in two days.
On Nov. 28, U.S. Marines here met with the city’s elected government leaders — another first in talks that both sides are hoping will continue as U.S. and Iraqi leaders in this city of 20,000 strive toward improving local infrastructure, economy, and government.
“We had to have security before we could start helping develop the local economy,” said Lt. Col. Austin E. Renforth, commanding officer of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, the U.S. military unit responsible for providing security — alongside Iraqi Security Forces — to this region located 150 miles northwest of Baghdad.
In this region, successful security operations by both the Marines and Iraqi Security Forces during the past three months have emboldened locals to take a bigger part in stabilizing their city, according to Renforth, a Wheeling, W. Va., native.
Until recently, locals feared insurgents would retaliate against their families if they helped stabilize the region, the Iraqi school officials said during the meeting. It’s a common tactic insurgents use to keep locals from cooperating with Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, what U.S. military leaders call a “murder and intimidation” campaign.
But in Rawah, a city which borders the Euphrates River in western Al Anbar Province, establishing security has taken the combined, and frequent, presence of both U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces.
Now, both sides are seeing their long hours patrolling in humvees and on foot finally pay off.
“I sleep peacefully when I see the Marines on their patrols,” said one local Iraqi, who chose to remain anonymous.
The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd LAR Battalion, which includes Maj. Sean Quinlan of Scottville who commands a company in Iraq, has spent about three months ousting insurgents, mentoring Iraqi soldiers and police, and providing security to a region that has been a hot spot for insurgents in western Al Anbar Province.
“That’s what we have done since we got here three months ago, now it’s time for us to move forward,” Renforth told Iraqi school officials during the meeting.
Until recently, the Marines had trouble just finding the city’s influential community members, let alone meeting them, Marines here say.
Though the meetings are milestones in developing further relations between U.S. and local leaders here, that’s not a reason for U.S. and Iraqi forces to let up on continuing to provide security, according to Renforth.
“We have to remain vigilant in order to keep the city this way,” he said during the meeting.
The meeting with school officials turned from talk on local school issues, to other city matters, such as the need to get local banks up and running again — a problem Marines here recently discovered.
As of now, money for the city’s sole bank is sent from other cities. The money, though, is not reaching Rawah citizens — insurgents hijack and rob the trucks. The lack of money in the city forces local citizens to sometimes find illegal work to make end’s meet, from illegal oil trade to assisting insurgent activities.
Iraqis and Coalition Forces agreed that having a more functional and secure banking system should be a top priority, as it would allow citizens to have stable distribution of legitimate income, rather than resorting to “black market” trading.
Following the meeting with school officials, Marines and Iraqi police passed out candy and toy balls to local children just getting out of their daily classes.
Just a few months ago these classes wouldn’t have been possible, as the threat of violence was too great, according to the same anonymous Iraqi.
Recently, Marines found two improvised explosive devices near the school. Since then, the Marines have taken extra effort to secure the area, which has allowed the schools to reopen, said Renforth.
“I’ve been (to Iraq) a couple times now, and every time I return, I’ve seen the country get better and better,” Renforth told the Iraqi school officials. “We are the right people for this job and we will see it accomplished.”
Ellie