|
ISF, MND-B
Soldiers secure Iraqi National Parliament, Iraqi Council of
Representatives convenes in International Zone
Blackanthem Military News,
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 24, 2006 2:51
|
 |
|
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani addresses standing members of the Iraqi
National Parliament during an acceptance speech Saturday. Talabani was
re-elected president by the Iraqi National Parliament’s Council of
Representatives Saturday. Also chosen to lead the nation’s newfound
government is the speaker of the COR Mahmoud al-Mashadani, and Khalid
al-Attiya and Aref Tayfour as his deputies. (U.S. Army photo by Staff
Sgt. Brent Williams, 4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.) |
Iraqi army and police forces
partnered with Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers to secure the
International Zone as the Iraqi Council of Representatives convened
Saturday to elect the nation’s top government leaders.
Working with Iraqi Security Forces, the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th
Brigade Combat Team headed a coordination cell at the Iraqi Convention
Center, located within the nation’s capital.
Soldiers from the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, worked with Iraqi
police to form a protective cordon around the building where the nation’s
top leaders took the next step in the forming of their government.
Soldiers from 4th BCT and the Georgian Army’s 22nd Light Infantry
Battalion, working as part of the Coalition Forces deployed in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, maintained entry control points while their Iraqi
counterparts guarded the IZ as Iraq’s national parliament elected its
first president and national speaker of the permanent government.
"No longer do we have U.S. forces guarding the ICC," said Lt. Col. Troy
Smith, deputy commander, 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div. "The security of the IZ is
done by IPs, IA and Coalition Forces combined."
|
 |
|
Iraqi police officers greet and pose with former Iraqi Prime Minister
Ibrahim al-Jaafari after the meeting of the Iraqi Council of
Representative’s at the Iraqi Convention Center April 22. Iraqi army
and police forces provided security for the Iraqi National Parliament
session at the ICC in Baghdad’s International Zone. (U.S. Army photo
by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams, 4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.) |
Leading a team of governance
officers and Civil Affairs Soldiers, the coordination cell led by Smith is
responsible for monitoring security operations within the ICC and
surrounding IZ checkpoints.
"The Iraqis are in the lead on security," Smith said. "In their plan, we
are augmenting them at the ECPs. Eventually, the Iraqis will secure this
thing in its entirety. They have already started taking over the
responsibility in certain areas."
The coordination cell also serves as a conduit for the 4th Inf. Div.,
bringing any concerns the ministries might have to MND-B, said Capt.
Walter Dunn, governance operations officer, 4th BCT.
The role of the governance team is to provide assistance to elements with
the Iraqi government dealing with issues of security, said Dunn.
"More than 260 of the 275 Council of Representative members attended the
session and, through a free and democratic process, voted to elect a
Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish representative government," he said.
As the new government takes its first steps to solidify its tenure within
the Iraqi political process, MND-B is prepared to assist the
democratically elected republic of Iraq with any issues that should arise
in the IZ, said Dunn.
By Staff Sgt. Brent Williams
4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
|
