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By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Doheny
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
BAYJI, Iraq- After several months of combat operations in the northern Iraqi city of Bayji, tribal leaders and local officials have shifted their focus.
Full-scale U.S. and Iraqi-led operations have cleansed the area of numerous "high-value individuals," crippling terrorist organization's capacity to operate here.
The result of these combined operations has led to positive economic and infrastructure changes for one of Iraq's biggest oil hubs.
Located in the Salah ad Din Province, the city of Bayji is 130 miles north of Baghdad and is home to the country's largest oil refinery. It processes a vast amount of the country's petroleum products that sustain the energy needs for millions of Iraqis.
Bayji also houses one of the largest power plants in Iraq. This power plant generates a large portion of power to Iraq's electrical grid.
The Bayji Train Station, which connects Baghdad to Bayji, is considered by many to be a, "state-of-the-art facility."
Protecting key infrastructure such as these, and the people working inside them, has proven to be difficult for both U.S. and Iraqi forces.
Since 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division assumed responsibility of the Bayji area in October 2007, much of the focus has been directed toward protecting infrastructure in the city and providing the people a sense of security.
The "Bulldog" Soldiers, along with Iraqi army and police, have fought to take back the embattled city from enemy extremist.
According to the leaders in and around the city, a defining moment for the Bulldog Battalion occurred during a recent meeting in Bayji between appointed city officials. For the first time since they arrived in Iraq, the focal point of a large gathering of senior officials wasn't the security of the population, but rather meeting their basic needs.
"The focus has shifted," said Lt. Col. Peter Wilhelm, commander of U.S. forces in Bayji. "Our efforts with Iraqi security forces have delivered a newfound sense of security for the people here. It is now time to build on that foundation."
Discussing issues concerning basic needs of the people, the meeting was a forum for each of the city-department director generals to enlighten the province's top elected official, Gov. Hamad Hamood Shekti and Bayji's mayor, Mayor Husseein Ahmed Majhub, on the city's potential and ongoing infrastructural issues.
Many topics were discussed during hours of deliberation, to include problems with water, sewage, electricity, agriculture, health, education and communication.
"We all need to work together as brothers," said Shekti, in an effort to promote full cooperation between departments. "Don't just be tribal."
There are 14 different tribes in and around the city of Bayji. Wilhelm said tribal disputes have been a primary cause for procrastination on certain infrastructural issues.
"It is crucial to the people in this city, and its surrounding communities that appointed officials put aside tribal affiliation," said Wilhelm. "A meeting like this can only encompass positive impacts, if all parties involved put aside personal issues for the good of the people."
After the meeting, the group toured the water treatment plant and Market Street in Bayji. This tour allowed the governor the opportunity to view the sewage problems that are indicative throughout the city.
"The sewage in this area is substandard," said Wilhelm. "The DGs, along with our civil affairs teams and commanders, are working with city officials to fix sewage problems within Bayji."
As the tide begins to turn in the city, Iraqi leaders are realizing that the ball is in their court.
"It is up to them," said Wilhelm. "I attend these meetings to show support for them for coming together to solve problems. I am not involved in much of the decision process. I think this meeting confirms the data we have assembled in regards to the security situation here. We are making progress."
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2008 23:14 |
| Story ID: | 18590 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 484 |
| Downloads: | 410 |
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