US forces turned over command of one of the most dangerous sections of Baghdad to the Iraqi Army yesterday -- part of a gradual transition that would allow US forces to begin pulling out.
The Iraqi troops took charge of the Sunni-dominated southern part of the capital after months of training and joint missions with American forces.
HASC GWOT FACT
House Armed Services Communications Office
US officers say the Iraqis are up to the task and the battalion's 32-year-old commander issued a defiant challenge to the insurgents whose attacks helped parts of the area earn the nickname, "Triangle of Death".
The terrorists want to kill the Iraqi people,' Colonel Ali Fadil said following the handover ceremony at a sprawling base on Baghdad's southern edge. But we will not allow this even if we have to sacrifice our own lives.
Fadil and his unit won high praise from the local US commander, who called them the most proficient of any Iraqi unit now taking charge.
He is a fierce warrior, he is a patriot, his loyalty is to the country of Iraq, Colonel Michael Garrett, commander of the 25th infantry Division's Fourth Brigade, said of Fadil. Garrett's forces will be ready to help if needed and have posted combat advisers among Fadil's units.
(Associated Press, November 14, 2006)
House Armed Services Communications Office
Duncan Hunter, Chairman
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