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Iraq War: We interrupt coverage of Bristol Palin's pregnancy to announce that the U.S. has turned over control of Iraq's wild, wild west to Baghdad. Memo to Barack Obama: Soon you will have nothing left to surrender.On Monday, while Democrats waited to see if Hurricane Gustav would be another Katrina and the GOP juggled its convention schedule, U.S. commanders formally returned responsibility for security in Iraq's Anbar province to the Iraqi Army and police. Maybe you missed it. The New York Times Web page had three stories on Bristol Palin. The Washington Post's online magazine, Slate, is running a "Name...

RAMADI, Iraq — Two years ago, Anbar Province was the most lethal place for the Americans in Iraq, with a marine or a soldier dying here nearly every day. The provincial capital, Ramadi, was a moonscape of rubble and ruins. Islamic extremists controlled large pieces of territory, with some so ferocious in their personal views that they did not even allow the sale of bread. On Monday, following a parade on a freshly paved street, American commanders formally returned responsibility for keeping order in Anbar Province, once the heartland of the Sunni insurgency, to the Iraqi Army and police force....

RAMADI, Iraq: Two years ago, Anbar Province was the most lethal place for American forces in Iraq. A U.S. marine or soldier died in the province nearly every day, and the provincial capital, Ramadi, was a moonscape of rubble and ruins. Islamic extremists controlled large pieces of territory, with some so ferocious in their views that they did not even allow the baking of bread. On Monday, U.S. commanders formally returned responsibility for keeping order in Anbar Province, once the heartland of the Sunni insurgency, to the Iraqi Army and police. The ceremony, including a parade on a freshly paved...

Given Hurricane Gustav, the GOP convention—and the MSM's inherent inclination to underreport good news from Iraq—a major story is not getting the attention it deserves. Here's how President Bush described the development [the photo shows U.S. Marine Maj. Gen John Kelly and Anbar Governor Maamoun Sami Rashid signing the handover papers. (AP Photo/Wathiq Khuzaie, Pool)]: "Today in Iraq, responsibility for security in Anbar Province was transferred to Iraqi civilian authorities. Iraqi forces will now take the lead in security operations in Anbar, with American troops moving into an overwatch role. Not long ago, Anbar was one of the most dangerous...

WASHINGTON, September 1 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today in Iraq, responsibility for security in Anbar Province was transferred to Iraqi civilian authorities. Iraqi forces will now take the lead in security operations in Anbar, with American troops moving into an overwatch role. Not long ago, Anbar was one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq. Al Qaeda was in control of almost every major population center, and its leaders intended to turn Anbar province into a safe haven from which to plan and launch further attacks against Iraqis and others in the region, as well as here at home. Today, Anbar...

The U.S. military Monday handed control of Iraq's Anbar province to Iraqi security forces. U.S. forces will withdraw to bases and rejoin Iraqi operations in Anbar only at the request of the provincial governor. Anbar is a Sunni-dominated province whose inhabitants turned against U.S. forces soon after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Anbar towns, such as Fallujah and Ramadi became insurgent strongholds, where militants waged fierce battles against U.S. troops. Violence in Anbar began to subside in 2006 when Sunni tribes became weary of al-Qaida's brutality against the local population. The tribes formed councils and joined U.S.-led forces...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2008 – Iraq’s once-deadly Anbar province could within the next few days become the 11th province to be turned over to Iraqi control, paving the way for a reduced U.S. Marine Corps presence there, the Marine Corps commandant said today. Gen. James T. Conway told Pentagon reporters the marked drop in violence in Anbar sets the stage for a drawdown of Marine forces that could be freed up for duty in Afghanistan, if needed. “The change in the al-Anbar province is real and perceptible," with attacks at an all-time daily low of two to three, Conway said....

Macedonian Army Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, and a Ranger platoon stand at attention as they wait to hand over command to the incoming Macedonian unit during a Transfer of Authority ceremony at the Sgt. John M. Schoolcraft III Pavilion at Camp Taji, northwest of Bagdad, June 23. Photo by Pfc. Lyndsey Dransfield. CAMP TAJI — The Soldiers of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,� 25th Infantry Division, bade farewell to their Macedonian partners and welcomed two new Macedonian platoons during a Transfer of Authority Ceremony at the Sgt. John M. Schoolcraft III Pavilion June 23....

BAGHDAD (AFP) — The US military is to hand over security control of the former Sunni insurgent bastion of Anbar province to Iraqi forces in the next 10 days, a US military spokesman announced on Monday."The handover of Anbar is expected to take place in the next 10 days," Lieutenant David Russell told AFP, declining to provide an exact date.Anbar would be the tenth of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed back to Iraqi forces by the US-led coalition amid a push to transfer security control of the entire country back to Baghdad.Anbar province in western Iraq, the country's largest,...

An Iraqi national policeman assigned to 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, uses his rifle to search debris for weapons and explosive materials during a cordon and search operation in the Beladiyat area of eastern Baghdad, June 10. Along with Iraqi army soldiers, national police detained 23 suspects and confiscated illegal weapons, including 62 AK-47 rifles, six Simonov rifles, four pistols and two artillery shells prepared as improvised explosive devices in Muhalla 740. Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Meadows. FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — For Iraqi national police officers and Iraqi army soldiers, conducting cordon and search missions is nothing...

The United States is considering moving the 8th Army headquarters to Hawaii by 2012, when wartime operational control is handed over to South Korea, military sources here said yesterday. Fighting units under the Yongsan-based headquarters, such as the 2nd Infantry Division and the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, are to remain on the Korean Peninsula, they said. The relocation of the 8th Army headquarters to Hawaii, where the U.S. Pacific Command has its headquarters, is intended to revamp the military command structure here, according to the sources. Some critics are concerned that moving the headquarters outside the Korean Peninsula may...

NASIRIYAH, Iraq (AFP) — The 550-strong Australian contingent in Iraq withdrew from its bases in the south of the country on Sunday as most of the troops prepared to head home, Iraqi and Australian officials said. The soldiers left following a flag-lowering ceremony at the Imam Ali airbase west of the city of Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhi Qar province, governor Aziz Kadoum Alwan said. "The Australian soldiers left today from Dhi Qar and Muthanna provinces," Alwan said. In Sydney the Australian Defence Force said in a statement that the "Overwatch Battle Group and the Australian army training team formally...

COP TIMBERWOLF — It’s a trend seen more and more frequently around al-Anbar province; Marines packing up their gear and returning their positions to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) so they can continue providing protection and security to the Iraqi citizens. Combat Outpost Timberwolf, near Baghdadi, is one of the latest to continue that trend of transitioning from Coalition force control to Iraqi Army (IA) control. COP Timberwolf began the transition process earlier this year when Marines assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 5 relieved Marines from 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, RCT-5 earlier this year so the battalion...

Iraq's western province of Anbar, hotbed of the Sunni Arab insurgency for the first four years of the war, will be returned to Iraqi control in March, a senior U.S. general said Thursday. In a telephone interview from Iraq, Marine Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commander of the roughly 35,000 Marine and Army forces in Anbar, said levels of violence have dropped so significantly—coupled with the growth and development of Iraqi security forces in the province—that Anbar is ready to be handed back to the Iraqis.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's western province of Anbar, origin of the Sunni Arab insurgency that arose in the early months of U.S. occupation, will be returned to Iraqi control in March, a senior U.S. general said Thursday. Thus far, nine of 18 Iraqi provinces have reverted to Iraqi control, most recently the southern province of Basra in December. The process has gone substantially slower than the Bush administration once hoped, mainly because of obstacles to developing sufficient Iraqi police and army forces. Marine Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commander of the roughly 35,000 Marine and Army forces in Anbar, said levels...

BASRA — Prime Minister Gordon Brown, making a surprise visit to troops in Iraq last week, announced that Basra will be handed back to Iraqi control within two weeks. Addressing troops at the Contingency Operating Base at Basra, where most of the United Kingdom’s troops are now based, Mr. Brown revealed that he had just spoken to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki who approved the handover. Mr. Maliki is recommending that British troops move to provincial Iraqi control within two weeks. The remaining British troops will focus more on training local Iraqi forces, before UK numbers reduce down to 2,500...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2007 – Basra, the second-largest city in Iraq, will be turned over to Iraqi provincial control in the next two weeks, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced yesterday during a visit to Iraq. The city will be the largest population turned over to the Iraqis and will complete the turnover to the Iraqis of the southern provinces of the country. Brown told British soldiers gathered at Basra International Airport that he had spoken with Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki by phone. “He asked me to pass on his thanks to you for what you have done to...

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that the Iraqi province of Basra is to be handed over to Iraqi control within two weeks. Mr Brown flew into Basra city on Sunday for a surprise visit to British troops. He broke the news as he addressed servicemen and women at Basra air station, after holding telephone talks with Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki. The remaining 4,500 British troops in Iraq will now focus their efforts on training local Iraqi forces. UK troop numbers are set to be reduced to 2,500 from the spring. Mr Brown told the troops: "I have just talked...

On her first day at Basra University this year a man came up to Zeena, a 21-year-old Christian woman, and three other Christian girls and ordered them to cover their heads with a hijab, or Islamic headscarf. “We didn't listen to him, and thought he might just be some extremist student representing only himself,” she said. The next day Zeena and two of her friends returned to class with uncovered heads. This time a man in the black clothes of the Shia militia stopped them at the entrance and took them aside. “He said, 'We asked you yesterday to wear...

CAMP FALLUJAH — Camp Corregidor and Combat Outpost were returned to the Government of Iraq during a signing ceremony held in the provincial capital of Ramadi Dec. 7. Governor Mamoun Sami Rashid Alawani, on behalf of the National Government, signed the documents and officially took possession of the property at the Provincial Government Center a few kilometers from the campus. Coalition Forces established Camp Corregidor on the abandoned campus of the Agricultural College in early 2004. Strategically located on the main highway connecting Baghdad to Syria, the outpost was under constant attack by Al Qaeda in Iraq foreign fighters and...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq, Nov. 2, 2007 – The Iraqi government has assumed command of a major unit from the country’s army, a sign of continued improvement in Iraq’s armed forces, U.S. officials said. Marine Maj. Gen. W.E. Gaskin, commander of Multinational Force West, relinquished operational control of the 7th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Murthi Mishin Rafa Farahan, to Iraqi Ground Forces Command in a ceremony at the division's headquarters at Camp Blue Diamond, in Ramadi, yesterday. The 7th Iraqi Army Division is responsible for security along the western Euphrates River Valley, with three brigades operating across the...

Iraqis to take control of Basra province Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 8:39pm GMT 30/10/2007 British forces are to transfer responsibility for security in Basra province to Iraq’s government in December, it has been announced. UK troops withdrew from Basra city in September Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said that after a formal handover ceremony British troops would be "in overwatch" in the region while the Iraqi police and army take on greater responsibility for security on the ground. Mr Browne is expected to agree a date in mid-December for the handover...

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces will turn over security to Iraqi authorities in the southern Shiite province of Karbala on Monday, the American commander for the area said, despite fighting between rival militia factions that has killed dozens. Karbala will become only the eighth of Iraq's 18 provinces to revert to Iraqi control, despite President Bush's prediction in January that the Iraqi government would have responsibility for security in all of the provinces by November.

Soldiers of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (SCR), prepare to raise the regimental flag over the headquarters during a transfer of authority event on Camp Liberty, Sept. 8. The 2nd SCR out of Vilseck, Germany, relieved the Arrowhead Brigade, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis, Wash. Photo by Spc. Leith Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. CAMP LIBERTY — The 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (SCR) “Dragoons� replaced the 3rd “Arrowhead� Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division as the quick-reaction force for the Iraqi capital Sept. 13, allowing the Arrowhead Soldiers to return home to...

Inhabitants awake to a new dawn, with some hailing departure of ‘occupiers’ and others fearful of rival militias battling for control Basra was a city divided yesterday after the withdrawal of British troops left some residents hailing the departure of “the occupiers” and others fearing for their safety if Iraqi security forces were unable to control rival militias. The withdrawal was the top story on all the Iraqi television stations until it was superseded by President Bush’s arrival in Anbar province in the afternoon. Pictures showed Iraqi soldiers hoisting the black, white and red national flag above the palace complex,...

British military vehicles is seen on their way from the city of Basra, Iraq, 03 Sep 2007 The highly symbolic pull out of British forces from Basra Palace to a nearby airbase is widely seen as the beginning of the end to British involvement in Iraq. For VOA, Tom Rivers reports from London. After four years, Britain's presence in Iraq's second-largest city is no more. Just more than 500 soldiers were stationed at the complex that used to be a one of Saddam's palaces in the center of Basra.Mortar attacks against the palace had become commonplace.As the British troops...

Britain pulls out of downtown Basra base By DAVID RISING Associated Press Writer Iraqi soldiers hoisted the nation's flag over the Basra palace compound Monday after British troops withdrew from their last garrison in the city, leaving the country's second biggest city largely in the hands in the hands of Iranian-backed Shiite militias. At al-Asad Air Base west of Baghdad, meanwhile, President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq, hoping to bolster his case that the buildup of U.S. troops is helping stabilizing the country. British vehicles rumbled out of the gates of the sprawling Basra Palace compound after dark...

N.Korea Told to Return Captured U.S. Navy Boat Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan asked North Korea to return the USS Pueblo to the U.S. during his visit to Pyongyang early March, a member of his entourage said Thursday. North Korea hijacked the U.S. Navy ship off the coast of Wonsan in January 1968, claiming it had crossed into North Korean waters. According to the aide, after looking at the Pueblo, which is on display near the Taedong River, the former prime minister told officials of the North’s Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation that the return of the captured ship...

The Iraqi flag is raised in the Old State Building as the Iraqi Army takes over control of the building from coalition forces. Ministry of Defence photo by Cpl Ian Forsyth, RLC. BASRAH — The first Coalition Forces base, the Old State Building in Basrah City, was handed over to the Iraqi Army March 20.The Iraqi Army took control of the base in a 45-minute-long parade which saw the raising and lowering of the flags of each country.A Press conference to mark the occasion at Basra International Airport was attended by Governor Wa’ili - the Governor of Basrah, General Habib...

BAGHDAD — Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, Multi-National Force – Iraq spokesman, spoke to members of the Arab media during a round-table discussion Thursday in the wake of President Bush’s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Amman, Jordan. During the president’s meeting with the prime minister they agreed to “accelerate” the transfer of security responsibility from Coalition Forces to Iraqi Security Forces. Caldwell told reporters Coalition Forces would do their best to quell violence in Iraq for as long as the Iraqi Government needed them. The transition of responsibility would occur when Iraqi leaders are ready, and not...

American and Iraqi officials have set a date for giving Iraq’s forces responsibility for security across the country.Under a plan to be presented to the UN Security Council next month, the Iraqi Government would assume authority from coalition troops by the end of next year. Only hours after Donald Rumsfeld was replaced as US Defence Secretary, American, British and Iraqi officials spoke openly about accelerating the handover process. Baghdad made clear that it would use the Democrat victory in congressional mid-term elections to push President Bush for concessions. Confidants of Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, said that they hoped...

Defence Secretary Des Browne chats to British troops during a visit to Iraq in May 2006. The Iraqis have passed yet another major milestone with the hand over of Dhi Qar province last week. It is the second province - Al Muthanna being the first - to be handed over to Iraqi control. UK Defence Secretary Des Browne congratulated the Iraqi people, saying, “I am pleased that Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq is today being handed over to Iraqi control. I congratulate the Iraqis on this achievement, along with our Italian and Romanian partners, whose hard work has...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2006 – Continual training with coalition forces has increased the capabilities of the Iraqi army and police in northern Iraq and allowed the local forces to take responsibility for more territory and work toward the future of the country, the U.S. commander in the area said today. “In an area of responsibility that exceeds 47,000 square miles, we have leveraged the full spectrum of assets in order to engage the population and neutralize the enemy,” Army Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Turner, commander of Multinational Division North, said in a news conference via satellite from Iraq. “Iraqi security...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2006 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is now officially the commander in chief of his troops. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. sign documents to mark the hand-over of control of the Iraqi armed forces to Maliki. U.S. Army photo  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Coalition forces handed over operational control of Iraq’s navy, air force and the 8th Iraqi Army Division in a ceremony today at the Ministry of Defense in Baghdad’s International Zone. “It’s fitting I follow the commander in chief of the Iraqi forces,” said...

The US-led coalition in Iraq has formally handed control of the country's armed forces to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. He signed an accord with the US military at a delayed ceremony in the capital, Baghdad. The first units to be transferred are Iraq's small navy and air force, and the 8th Army Division, based in Najaf. But correspondents say it is unclear how fast the complete transfer of security control can be achieved. The handover ceremony is five days later than scheduled, although the delay has not been explained. US-led forces disbanded what was left of the Iraqi army after...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2006 -- For the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the Iraqi prime minister, through the Iraqi minister of defense, will take operational control of the Iraqi ground forces command structure and the country’s air forces and navy tomorrow, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said today. “This is such a huge, significant event that's about to occur tomorrow,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “It's the one event that puts the prime minister directly in the operational control of his military forces as his role as the...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq will take control of its armed forces command on Thursday, a major step on its painful path toward independence and an essential move before international troops can eventually withdraw.Despite the progress, there was more bloodshed with at least 36 people killed across the country in car bombs, mortar attacks and drive-by shootings. Police also found 29 bodies. “This is such a huge, significant event that’s about to occur tomorrow,” U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said of the shift in the Iraqi command. “If you go back and you map out significant events that have...

Iraq to take control of armed forces By ELENA BECATOROS, Associated Press Writer 31 minutes ago BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq will take control of its armed forces command on Thursday, a major step on its painful path toward independence and an essential move before international troops can eventually withdraw. Despite the progress, there was more bloodshed with at least 36 people killed across the country in car bombs, mortar attacks and drive-by shootings. Police also found 29 bodies. "This is such a huge, significant event that's about to occur tomorrow," U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said of the...

BAGHDAD — The United States and Iraq hope to sign an agreement by next week to hand operational command of Iraq’s new army to Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, Iraq said yesterday, after wrangles on wording had held up the accord. A day after the government hailed the arrest of Al Qaeda in Iraq’s purported deputy head as a coup against insurgents, the bodies of 33 men, some with their hands bound and bearing signs of torture, were found in Baghdad, and foreign forces announced the death of four Americans and two British soldiers. South of the capital, the US-trained...

U.S., Iraq near handover By Ibon Villelabeitia BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States and Iraq hope to sign an agreement by next week to hand operational command of Iraq's new army to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq said on Monday, after wrangles on wording had held up the accord. A day after the government hailed the arrest of al Qaeda in Iraq's purported deputy head as a coup against insurgents, the bodies of 33 men, some with their hands bound and bearing signs of torture, were found in Baghdad, and foreign forces announced the death of four Americans and two...

BAGHDAD – The Iraqi Ground Forces Command assumed command and control here today of one of its Iraqi Army divisions from the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, marking the first step toward Iraqi sovereignty over their own armed forces. The 8th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Maj. Gen Othman Ali Salih Farhood, which had reported to Multi-National Division-Baghdad as a subordinate unit, will now report directly to the IGFC as an adjacent unit to MND-B. It was the first Iraqi Army division to take the lead in its sector on January 27, 2006. In a gradual sequence over the following months, the IGFC...

BAGHDAD, Sep. 1, 2006 – The Iraqi Ground Forces Command assumed command and control here today of one of its Iraqi army divisions from the Multinational Corps Iraq, marking what officials here said is the first step toward Iraqi sovereignty over the country’s armed forces. The 8th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Maj. Gen Othman Ali Salih Farhood, which had been a subordinate unit of Multinational Division Baghdad, will now report directly to the IGFC as an adjacent unit to MND-B. When the division took the lead for operations in its sector on Jan. 27, it was the first to...

Iraqi Soldiers Take the Lead Two battalions of the Iraqi Army assume responsibility of security for the majority of Kirkuk Province. By U.S. Army Spc. Michael Alberts 1st Brigade Combat Team, (Air Assault) KIRKUK, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2006 -- Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division transferred responsibility of security for the majority of the Kirkuk Province to two battalions of the Iraqi Army during a ceremony at an Iraqi military compound just outside of Kirkuk, Aug. 31. “With this ceremony, we complete the transfer of security responsibilities from our friends, the Coalition Forces, to our...

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Nouri al-Maliki said Iraqi forces will assume responsibility for Dhi Qar province in the south, making it the second out of 18 provinces that the Iraqis would take control of. The Iraqis took over Muthanna province in the south from British forces in July.

TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 18, 2006) – Third Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division handed over Forward Operating Base Remagen to the 4th Iraqi Army Division Wednesday. In the hand-over ceremony, FOB Remagen was renamed Saad Bin Abi Waqas, an Iraqi hero and commander-in-chief of Muslim forces who was victorious over the Persian army at the battle of Qadisiyya in 636 A.D. Maj. Gen. Abdul Jabar, commander, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, thanked the Coalition Forces and the Iraqi government for giving him and his Soldiers the facility. Deputy Governor of...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2006 – The 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, officially assumed responsibility for security in parts of Mahmudiyah, Yusufiyah and Lutufiyah, Iraq, earlier this week. Iraqi army soldiers from 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, stand with the colors of their country held high during a transfer of authority ceremony in Mahmudiyah on Aug. 14. Photo by Spc. George Welcome, USA  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. During the Aug. 14 transfer of authority ceremony at the Iraqi army compound in Mahmudiyah, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, transferred to...

Soldiers from the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division capture insurgents during a demonstration of military ability that took place at Forward Operating Base Mahmudiah South Monday. Story and photos by Sgt. Trevor Snyder124th Mobile Public  Affairs Detachment BAGHDAD -- Iraqi forces took control of another area of Baghdad on Monday after the latest in a series of transfer of authority ceremonies near the capital. Army Col. Claude Ebel, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division said responsibility for Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah South, a base of operations for security forces south of the capital, was transferred to...

WASHINGTON, August 6, 2006 – The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team handed over operations in Mosul, Iraq, and other surrounding areas in the Ninewa province to the 3rd SBCT, 2nd Infantry Division, in a transfer-of-authority ceremony at Forward Operating Base Marez today. The 172nd SBCT soldiers were deployed in August 2005 and since have conducted more than 15,000 missions, including cordon and searches, combat patrols, counter-mortar and rocket missions, raids, escort missions and humanitarian aid throughout Dohuk, Ninewa and Irbil provinces. “The accomplishments of the 172nd SBCT have been truly remarkable,” said Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner, commanding general of...

Andrew Tilghman / S&S Iraqi army soldiers prepare for a patrol in the neighborhoods surrounding the capital city’s International Zone. Andrew Tilghman / S&SIraqi soldiers frisk Sahad El Ani, a 30-year-old car salesman, at a temporary checkpoint in Baghdad, one of the few places in Iraq where the army operates with very little oversight from U.S. troops. BAGHDAD — It was midday in the traffic-choked city center when a team of Iraqi soldiers thought Sahad El Ani, a 30-year-old car salesman driving alone in a black Opel sedan, looked suspicious. Iraqi soldiers frisk Sahad El Ani, a 30-year-old car salesman,...

The U.S. Army's plan was to fly us to Sadr City by helicopter. This was just not any FOB. This was FOB Hope. I'm sure everyone had a good laugh when the base was named. FOB Hope, however, is no laughing matter. This transfer of power would have been unimaginable only two years ago; and it is still hard to believe - American forces giving Iraq's new army control of Sadr City - Baghdad's volatile Shiite slum. Colonel Thomas Vail, the U.S. commander in this region of central Iraq told me, "Iraqi security forces are in charge and we've got...