Photo By Sgt. Dustin Roberts | Capt. Nate Williams (right), along with Maj. Hussein and Sheik Mahmoud, conduct a...... read more read more
By Spc. Dustin Roberts
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – The people who once lived in an Iraqi community riddled with aggression and violence have something to look forward to in the very near future: returning home to a safe environment with better services and improving economy.
In fact, many citizens of Al-Hurriyah, a neighborhood in the District of Kadamiyah, have begun returning to their homes since abandoning them in the past couple of years due to sectarian violence.
"Since 2003, Sunni bad guys started killing Shiites because they were against Saddam's Baathe Party and worked with Americans," said Abu Ali, an interpreter who works with Multi-National Division – Baghdad and who has lived in Hurriyah most of his life. "Then the Shiite bad guys rose against the Sunni enemy in one night and kicked them out of Hurriyah."
It was in reality more complicated than that, but the end result was a virtually an all-Shiite neighborhood.
Before sectarian violence started in Hurriyah, Sunnis and Shiites lived without sectarian conflict throughout the neighborhood. They were friends, neighbors, business partners and even married across sectarian lines among families.
Hurriyah was unique; the two groups were more thoroughly mixed together in Hurriyah than in any other neighborhood in the Baghdad area.
When the violence between the groups became overwhelming in 2006-2007, the mix in Hurriyah quickly became unblended.
In February 2006, a car bomb destroyed the Shiite Abdel Hadi Chalabi Mosque, killing 23 and wounding more than 50 people. Since then, more than 4,000 families left the area in fear of their own or their loved ones being killed, explained Maj. John Breland, human terrain team chief, operationally attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
The dominant Shiite militia and other criminals terrorized the neighborhood and threatened or killed Sunnis who tried to return to their rightful homes. They preyed upon Shiites as well through protection rackets, rent gouging and other economic crimes, added Breland.
Breland went on to say that many of the Sunni families moved west to Ghazaliyah, Ameriya and beyond and when word reached areas such as Mansour, Jamia and Abu Ghurhib, Shiites migrated to Hurriyah to claim hundreds of empty homes. Shiite families also migrated to Hurriyah from Ghazaliyah.
"Poor families can live in an 800 square foot home; that can be 16 people living in the same house," said Amar Jarjees, a bicultural linguist with MND-B, who lived in Baghdad 19 years. "If they drive around and see a 3,000-square foot house and it's empty, they would simply move their family to the house."
Because of the constant violence the economy diminished, medical and dental clinics became less efficient and numerous shops shut down, including Market Street, which runs east and west through the middle of the neighborhood said Breland.
Abu Ali spoke of a Sunni man named Ahmad Dabbch, whose parents and grandparents were friends with Abu Ali's elders.
"He became a leader of a violent group who worked with Al-Qaida in Hurriyah and his group killed many Shiites," he said. "I asked, 'why? We are brothers, and we share the same friends; we are Arabs; we are Muslims, and more importantly, we are humans."
Abu Ali explained that both Sunni and Shiite extremists take small differences between the tribes and turn it into grounds for violence.
Since February, the 6th Iraqi Army Division, with the help of U.S.-led coalition forces, have cleared many extremist threats from Hurriyah, set up numerous check points and restored peace throughout the neighborhood.
"The 1st Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 6th IA, will continue to conduct combined patrols with the Iraqi police and coalition forces," said Maj. Adhab Imam al- Giussy Hussein, commander, 1st Bn., 22nd Bde., 6th IA Div. "It has been nearly four weeks since the last incident of resettlement violence."
Since then, clinics have been restored and new equipment and medicines have been delivered to the clinics of Hurriyah.
Along with the re-establishment of medical supplies and equipment, water and electricity have begun to be restored. Citizens of Hurriyah look to tribal Sheiks, religious and government leaders for lessons in reconciliation.
"They rely on their leaders, who can educate the people on how to live in peace; the Sheiks work hard for reconciliation projects," Jarjees said. "For the last 30 years the people have lived with killing, war, theft and rape; that was the mentality under Saddam's power. Now our goal is to teach the new generation how to live in peace and educate them on what freedom really is."
In August the Iraqi prime minister ordered the people illegally occupying the homes throughout Baghdad to either return to their original locations or move elsewhere by Sept. 1 earlier this year.
To facilitate the homecoming of displaced people from the area the government has established two resettlement centers in Hurriyah and a main resettlement center at the 6th IA Division Headquarters, Muthanna Airfield.
Both Sunni and Shiite families who are displaced can travel to the resettlement centers to register their names with the government. There they prove they own the house occupied by squatters by providing their deeds to resettlement center officials. The government will then facilitate the process of moving back in the homes.
"During the month of August, 1/22/6 IA arrested 81 suspected insurgents and confiscated over 700 weapons and 100 scooters, which were being used to conduct illegal activity around Hurriyah," Hussein said. "By the beginning of September, families began returning and by the end of September over 200 families returned."
Hussein said officials from the Baghdad Operations Center and the Army Chief of Staff's office, as well as Sunni and Shiite religious leaders visited Hurriyah to check on the resettlement progress.
In October, the 6th IA Div. added another company of Soldiers to their areas of operation in Hurriyah. The IA has helped Sunni and Shiite families return home by evicting squatters from the returning families' homes. After the families prove ownership, the IA usually provides the occupying family 48-72 hours to vacate, depending on each case.
Once the homes are cleared, the Soldiers escort the rightful owners to their residences safely.
Since the IA established a strong presence in Hurriyah, Hussein said the 6th IA and local IPs will continue to work with non-governmental organizations and the government of Iraq to distribute humanitarian assistance to the people of Hurriyah.
"The 1/22/6 IA is fully committed to working with the IPs, tribal Sheiks and people to continue to improve security in Hurriyah," Hussein said.
As an indicator of the great resettlement success, Hussein said that over 600 families have returned to Hurriyah and more are returning every day. The variety of shops on Market Street, which were either shut down or were open during short, day-light hours, are beginning to thrive well into the night.
| Date Taken: | 11.27.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 11.27.2008 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 26884 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 49 |
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