Unit in Iraq ready for changes new security deal will bring

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Second Lt. Clayton Merkley shakes hands with Iraqi army 1st Sgt. Hassan al-Harabi after inspecting his checkpoint Friday in Baghdad’s Sadr City district. Merkley’s unit — Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment — requires every patrol to either include Iraqi soldiers or to check up on Iraqis to make sure things are proceeding well.


Unit in Iraq ready for changes new security deal will bring
By James Warden, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, December 14, 2008

BAGHDAD — The soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment were searching a Sadr City industrial area for roadside bomb components Saturday when they came upon a locked door in the Baghdad slum. The soldiers could easily have kicked down the door, but that would have undoubtedly made enemies in an area that has long been one of Iraq’s most violent.

Luckily, they had Iraqi army Cpl. Abbas Kadim with them. Kadim asked some neighbors who owned the building, found the man with the key and led the Americans into the building without hurting property or feelings.

The security framework agreement that lays out the plan for America’s withdrawal from Iraq will undoubtedly require many changes from U.S. forces when it goes into effect Jan. 1. Among others, the agreement — commonly called a status of forces agreement — mandates that all U.S. operations must be coordinated with Iraqi forces.

But like many units across Iraq, Company A is already well on its way toward fulfilling that requirement — as Saturday’s mission attested. First Lt. Ilya Ivanov, a platoon leader, said he has brought Iraqis along on every mission since Nov. 28 except for quick response missions such as responding to a roadside bomb attack.

This head start should make the status of forces transition smooth once the New Year rolls around, said Maj. John Gossert, the executive officer for 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division — the unit in charge of 1-6.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59396