Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070724-07
July 24, 2007

Husseiniyah security, basic services – ongoing efforts
Multi-National Division – North PAO

HUSSEINIYAH, Iraq – Stryker Soldiers established security check points around the city of Husseiniyah, Saturday, in an effort to facilitate bringing the city’s basic services back to the citizens following a recent upswing of violence against Coalition Forces.  

Tensions heightened in Husseiniyah after dirt mounds blocking roads into the city started emerging after June 13, the same day insurgents bombed the holy Shiite Golden Mosque in Samarra.  The dirt mounds block access by CF into Husseiniyah and interrupt continued assistance of policing, governance and essential services.

 “It is evident that these insurgents have no regard for the citizens of Husseiniyah,” said Lt. Col. John Drago, commander of 2-12 FA.  “We have a huge population that does not have water, electricity; the basic necessities of life.  These people deserve better than this.”

“You want to help the people, but on the other hand you are being attacked by these elements and the lives of my Soldiers are threatened.  Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces are now forced to focus on this insurgent threat instead of aiding the Government of Iraq’s essential services program.”

The violence escalated against CF after the mounds started going up. Attacks on CF have more than doubled since early June.

With the establishment of checkpoints around the city, CF are trying to put a stop to these attacks and regain access into the city. Iraqi Security Forces and Soldiers of 2-12 FA are controlling traffic in and out of Husseiniyah, he said.

During the cordon of the city, Drago has met with influential Sheiks and city leaders to lay out his concerns and ask community leaders and city law enforcement officials to start doing their job.

Ultimately, Drago said he hopes Husseiniyah leadership will come through and his forces will be able to reinstate essential services in the area, which were suspended because of the violence.

He said traffic was restricted to emergency vehicles but commercial vendors were being allowed to bring food to the south of Husseiniyah.

“Civilians are authorized to walk to these vendors to buy food. Donkey carts may be used, but no vehicle movement is authorized,'' he said. “We are also allowing civilians that need medical aid, to walk to the Hamid Shaub Hospital for free treatment.''

“Everyday we do this we are inconveniencing the population, and that is not what we want. We want to help the population,” Drago said. However the Shiite extremists do not seem to care about the population, he said.

“What is going on in Husseiniyah has got to stop,” Drago said.

can operate in the city and improve the people’s quality of life, he added.

Reports on July 23 that CF were conducting a massive clearance of Husseiniyah and had asked the civilian population to leave the city were disputed by Drago’s command post and proven false.

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