Iraqi forces accept control of 12th province

SAMARRA, Iraq | Iraqi forces Thursday took responsibility for security in an area south of Baghdad once known as the “Triangle of Death” and may soon take control in Salaheddin, where al Qaeda nearly sparked a full-scale civil war in 2006.

Babil, the location of the ancient ruins of Babylon, is the 12th of 18 Iraqi governorates or provinces to be placed under Iraqi control and the second since September, when Anbar was transferred. A 13th province, Wasit, is expected to revert to Iraqi authority at the end of this month and Salaheddin may not be far behind.

The White House said the Babil transfer was proof of the success of the U.S. surge strategy.

“This brings the total to about two-thirds of Iraq that is now being controlled by Iraqis,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said. “The president is appreciative of all the work that our forces have done, but also recognizes that the Iraqis have done a lot of work, too, to get to this point.”

U.S. and Iraqi authorities credit the Sons of Iraq security groups which emerged last year with playing a critical role in securing communities from terrorist infiltration and allowing Americans to take a back seat.

“They have successfully expelled al Qaeda from the city by securing their neighborhoods,” said Capt. Josh Kurtzman, a company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in Samarra.

Samarra, in Salaheddin province, is the location of the Golden Dome Mosque, a Shi’ite holy site. Al Qaeda terrorists blew up the dome in 2006 and sparked sectarian bloodletting across the country that almost led to outright civil war.

However, the security situation has improved so much that U.S. officers here say the province could be transferred to Iraqi control in the spring.

The district has experienced several bombings in past years, including one on March 13 that killed 18 people. Since then, authorities have reinforced security with several checkpoints and concrete walls.

As a result, the number of attacks in Samarra has dropped from 67 in May to 8 so far this month.

“When we first came here it really [expletive],” said an infantryman in the smoking area of Combat Outpost Olson, on the edge of Samarra. “Every morning when a unit rolled out we could hear what was waiting for the rest of us: Bang, brrrrup, brrrrup, boom.”

“We went in hard, but we always followed the one big rule we came here with - treat the people as you want to be treated,” said the infantryman, who asked not to be named. “We killed and detained the bad guys, but didn’t take out our anger or frustrations on the ordinary people.”

Samarra’s northeastern Khadasiyah neighborhood demonstrates the changes. Once a battleground between U.S. forces and al Qaeda with shuttered shops and terrified residents hiding in their homes, the neighborhood now has Sons of Iraq checkpoints and shops selling everything from refrigerators to snack foods. With Iraqi government funds and U.S. supervision, the entire area is being revitalized.

Meanwhile, the Golden Dome Mosque is being slowly rebuilt and small bands of Shi’ite pilgrims are starting to return to this overwhelmingly Sunni city.

Elsewhere in Salaheddin, violence is also down. Near the city of Balad, south of Samarra, there were 60 significant acts of violence - improvised explosive devices, mortar fire and sniping - in October of last year. For all of September 2008, there were just 10, U.S. military officers said.

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