Photo By 1st Lt. Darryl Frost | (Left to Right) Sameer Al-Haddad, receivership secretariat for the Prime Minister's...... read more read more
BAGHDAD — In a late Wednesday afternoon meeting, members the Joint Area Support Group — Central met with Sameer Al-Haddad, receivership secretariat for the Prime Minister's office, to officially transfer the Wedding Island property inside Baghdad's International Zone back to the Iraqi government.
As U.S. forces continue to drawdown in Iraq, Wedding Island is part in a long list of properties the JASG-C is transferring to the Iraqi government as we move forward on the timeline that ends with complete withdrawal by Dec. 31, 2011, as agreed to in the Security Agreement.
The 41.9-acre Wedding Island property was used by members of the ruling party during the Saddam era as a place where official ceremonies and weddings were performed.
"This was a challenging transfer as environmental hazards and contractor problems have delayed the handover of Wedding Island for months," said Maj. Miguel Torres, JASG-C installations director.
Essentially a large vacant lot, the Wedding Island site was recently a lay down yard for the construction of the 104-acre New Embassy Complex, completed on Jan. 5, 2009. Materials for the NEC project were stored on the property during construction.
"It was exciting to work together with our Iraqi partners to forge a new future for the Iraqi people," Torres said. "We look forward to continuing this relationship."
The Wedding Island property is expected to be turned over to Iraq's Ministry of Tourism, which plans to transform the area into a public golf course and garden area.
Since the Soldiers of 72nd Joint Areas Support Group arrived into Baghdad in late December, they have been working the logistics for this turn over with key players in the United States Forces-Iraq command team and the Department of State.
In the upcoming months, the JASG-C is scheduled to transfer, or assist in the transferring, of 13 additional properties from the Department of Defense and the Department of State to the Iraqi government. Six entry control points in the IZ will also be turned over to the Iraqis this year.
The JASG-C is for responsible securing and administering the IZ, and for transferring most of the U.S.-controlled IZ properties back to the government of Iraq.
The JASG-C is made up of Texas Army National Guard Soldiers from the headquarters of the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, along with a small number of active duty U.S. Navy and Air Force personnel.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2010 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 45221 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 364 |
| Downloads: | 329 |
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