Photo By Staff Sgt. James Hunter | An Iraqi national policeman with the 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National...... read more read more
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1st Lt. Michael Dytrych
1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad
BAGHDAD – The Iraqi national police opened a northern access point for vehicle and pedestrian traffic in Khadra Feb. 27, thus marking a milestone in the neighborhood's security and economic improvement.
A partnership between policemen from 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, which is headquartered in Khadra, and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, has drastically reduced the threat of terrorism to create a safer neighborhood for local residents.
This checkpoint had been closed for more than a year in an effort to increase local security, said Capt. Daniel Cannon, a native of Ocala, Fla., who serves as the commander of Company C, 1-64 AR. As a result, those visiting the area were limited to one access point for entering and leaving.
The muhallah (neighborhood) of Khadra is located in western Baghdad and was a hot bed for insurgent activity, said Cannon. The area suffered four to five attacks a day on local nationals and Iraqi security and coalition forces.
Local leaders and coalition forces worked together to devise a plan to keep terrorist activity out of the area. Together, they set up barriers around Khadra in an attempt to prevent al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists from conducting attacks there, Cannon said. Once the barrier system was in place, it made it much more difficult for the terrorists to penetrate the neighborhood.
"That's the main reason we have been able to open up this checkpoint today," Cannon said. "Over the last three months, the security situation has drastically improved – especially with the Sons of Iraq and the work that they've done. The security situation has allowed for this to happen, bottom line."
The heightened security has also provided an opportunity for the economic development of several market areas in Khadra because the enhanced security provided encouragement for local citizens to venture outside of their homes to shop for goods, he said.
As a result of the enhanced security and economic development in the area, and security advancement, Iraqi security and coalition forces leaders determined the timing was right for opening the northern checkpoint.
During a recent patrol, Maj. Chris Budihas and Iraqi Col. Mustafa asked the local leaders what supplementary actions could further boost their economy. Their answer was to open the northern checkpoint to allow the flow of residents from surrounding neighborhoods to shop in their markets. Budihas is a native of Jacksonville, Fla., and serves as an operations officer with 1st Bn., 64th Armor Regt. Mustafa is the commander of 1-6-2 INP.
"The opening of this checkpoint will undoubtedly increase the local economy and further return Khadra to a state of normalcy," Budihas said.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2008 08:55 |
| Story ID: | 16866 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 504 |
| Downloads: | 497 |
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