IRAQ: U.S. FORCES HAND OVER SECURITY ON EASTERN SIDE OF BAGHDAD, ATTACKS CONTINUE.
Record ID:
648520
IRAQ: U.S. FORCES HAND OVER SECURITY ON EASTERN SIDE OF BAGHDAD, ATTACKS CONTINUE.
- Title: IRAQ: U.S. FORCES HAND OVER SECURITY ON EASTERN SIDE OF BAGHDAD, ATTACKS CONTINUE.
- Date: 1st June 2005
- Summary: (W3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 1, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. GV: U.S. MILITARY VEHICLES AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE FORMER HEADQUARTERS OF IRAQ'S DEFENCE MINISTRY 0.04 2. GV/MV/CU: IRAQI AND AMERICAN ARMY OFFICIALS ATTENDING HANDOVER CEREMONY; IRAQI ARMY OFFICER MARCHING, SALUTING; REPRESENTATIVE OF IRAQ'S DEFENCE MINISTER SALUTING (3 SHOTS) 0.22 3. GV: IRAQI SOLDIERS PARADING; MILITARY VEHICLES PARADING (3 SHOTS) 0.51 4. MV: IRAQI AND AMERICAN ARMY OFFICIALS SALUTING 0.56 5. GV: IRAQI MILITARY TRUCK PARADING 1.01 6. MV/TILT UP: IRAQIS RAISING FLAG OF THE BRIGADE 1.12 7. (SOUNDBITE)(English)), LIEUTENANT COLONEL TENNET, SENIOR TRAINER OF THE 2ND BRIGADE OF THE IRAQI ARMY SAYING: "Eventually they will assume responsibility for Rusafa, which is the eastern half of the city, and they are becoming very close to being prepared to assume those responsibilities. They work alongside the Americans to improve the security in the city and to make sure that the people of Iraq are safe and they can conduct the elections safely and freely to establish a democracy here in Iraq." 1.44 8. MV/CU: IRAQI MILITARY BAND PLAYING MUSIC (2 SHOTS) 1.54 9. (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) REPRESENTATIVE OF IRAQ'S DEFENCE MINISTER LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAHAM RADHI AL-ASSAL, SAYING: "Our units have proved their capabilities in controlling areas within their new authority. And today we are celebrating again the handover of the authority to the 2nd Brigade in al-Rusafa district." 2.34 10. GV: EXTERIOR OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 2.39 (BN06) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 1, 2005) (REUTERS) 11. LV/GV: SITE OF BLAST WITH SMOKE RISING; SMOKE COMING OUT OF CAR (2 SHOTS) 2.52 12. LV: HELICOPTER OVERHEAD 2.56 13. GV: SMOKE POURING OUT OF CAR, U.S. HUMVEES DRIVING PAST 3.17 (W3) TARMIYA, IRAQ (JUNE 1, 2005) (REUTERS) 14. GV/MCU: U.S. TANK CORDONING OFF ROAD, BURNED OUT MILITARY VEHICLE AND U.S. SOLDIERS AROUND (2 SHOTS) 3.28 15. MCU: BODY OF A CIVILIAN INSIDE CAR 3.40 16. MCU: BROKEN WINDOW OF CIVILIAN CAR 3.46 17. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED EYEWITNESS SAYING: "We were standing nearby when the accident occurred. Two roadside bombs blew up at two U.S. vehicles, one was a truck and the other was a humvee. Vehicles were on fire." 4.02 18. LV: U.S. TANK CORDONING OFF ROAD 4.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th June 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD AND TARMIYA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA9N9WV3GO3XUO5W1FJ6ECJA94D
- Story Text: U.S. forces hand over security authority of eastern
side of Baghdad city to Iraqi forces as bomb attacks on
U.S. military convoys continue.
The U.S. 3rd Infantry Division on Wednesday (June 1, 2005)
handed over security of the Rusafa district in eastern part
of Baghdad to the 6th Division of the 2nd Brigade of the
Iraqi army.
A ceremony was held at the former headquarters of
Iraq's Defence Ministry on the eastern side of the Tigris
River attended by a representative of the Iraqi Defence
Minister and senior Iraqi commanders and commander of the
U.S. 3rd Infantry Division.
The ceremony started with an Iraqi military parade to
the tunes of military music played by a military band.
U.S. trainers of the Iraqi army said the Iraqi forces will work
alongside the Americans to provide security to
the capital.
"Eventually they will assume responsibility for Rusafa,
which is the eastern half of the city, and they are
becoming very close to be prepared to assume those
responsibilities. They work alongside the Americans to
improve the security in the city and to make sure that the
people of Iraq are safe and they can conduct the elections
safely and freely to establish a democracy here in Iraq,"
said Lieutenant Colonel Tennet, a trainer of the 2nd
Brigade of the Iraqi Army.
Speaking during the ceremony, Lieutenant General Daham
Radhi al-Assal representative of Iraqi Defence Minister
praised the Iraqi army capabilities in controlling areas
within their authorities.
"Our units have proved their capabilities in
controlling areas within their new authority. And today we
are celebrating again the handover of the authority to the
2nd Brigade in al-Rusafa district."
Many areas in the capital which have been the scenes
of terrorist attacks, like Haifa street, Adamiyah and the
Bataween districts, have already been handed over to the
country's army.
The U.S. military has already begun to transfer
authority to Iraqi security forces in 14 of 18 provinces in
the country. According to the Coalition force officials the
Iraqi army had now reached advanced stages of training.
While the coalition forces step aside and allow the
Iraqi soldiers to patrol and secure the streets to reduce
the U.S. presence in the city, the 3rd Infantry Division
will continue to offer support from a distance.
The move is a step in a much broader post-election plan
to scale back the US military presence in towns across
rebellious central Iraq, leaving behind "advisers" to help
the Iraqi Army to take over security duties
An estimated 40,000 Iraqi soldiers and police officers
have launched a massive security sweep in the capital
Baghdad. They are setting up checkpoints and searching
homes in an effort to root out insurgents. Dubbed
"Operation Lightning," the crackdown comes following a wave
of insurgent attacks that have killed more than 720 people
since Iraq's new Shi'ite-led government was announced on 28
April.
A suicide car bomb exploded at a checkpoint on the
road to Baghdad's international airport and near a U.S.
military base on Wednesday, police said. There were no
immediate reports of any casualties.
The bomb detonated among a group of vehicles at the
main civilian checkpoint through which cars enter the
secure airport complex. The checkpoint is close to the
entrance to the main U.S. military base in the capital.
Witnesses said that a car bomb exploded as a U.S.
convoy of military trucks were passing by.
The airport road is one of the most dangerous in Iraq,
with daily car bombings, shootings and other attacks. There
are sometimes as many as three car bombings a day on the
short stretch of road.
At least two roadside bombs detonated at a U.S. convoy
of military vehicles northwest of Baghdad on Wednesday
(June 1), wrecking two military vehicles, witnesses said.
The attack took place in Tarmiya, 60 km (20 mile)
northwest of Baghdad.
"We were standing nearby when the accident occurred.
Two roadside bombs blew up at two U.S. vehicles, one was a
truck and the other was a humvee. Vehicles were on fire,"
said unidentified civilian.
Witnesses said that one civilian was killed when the
U.S. forces opened fire randomly after the blast.
The U.S. forces cordoned off the area of the blast and
prevented people from approaching.
There is no confirmed report on casualties and the U.S.
military could not be immediately available for comment on
the attack.
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