Politics
Common forces: We are imposing security in Nineveh
Monday, February 8th 2010 6:40 PM
Nineveh, Feb. 8 (AKnews) The Officers and soldiers from the American Forces, ,Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army said on Monday that they are working to impose security and maintenance in the areas of deployment through the common checkpoints.
The Independent National News Agency of Kurdistan (AKnews)correspondent had visited one of the checkpoint north-east of Mosul which was opened on 13 January, and met a number of elements of the American ,Iraqi and Peshmerga common forces in addition to the Iraqi Police.
Lieutenant Jonathan, the Chief of the American Forces at this check point of the common forces told (AKnews) that "Te main task assigned to us is to build and arrange this check point of the common forces which is called Liberation (north east of Mosul)."
He added: "There is a collective action consisting of the American ,Iraqi and Peshmerga forces in addition to the police" continuing that "when we leave Iraq we hope that the Iraqis can manage the work correctly."
He said that “What they are doing now is one of our missions and we can assure the world that we are working as security agents at this point as we are doing our missions in other parts of Mosul, and we can work with the Iraqis hand by hand."
Jonathan added that”We receive our order from the Officers of the Supreme command who are working in coordination with the Iraqi army officers and the Peshmerga forces and it is known as the Higher Coordination Committee."
About the coordination with Nineveh leadership Jonathan assured that the "Things are working properly because the Coordinating Committee anfd Nineveh Leader ship are working hand uin hand together therefore they send their orders to us and the work is done in coordination, and by orders I mean the instructions of how to do the work."
About the complaints of some citizens about cuting off some roads, the American Officer said: "It is true that there is a delay, but when you notice any road is cut, there is always an alternative way for the citizens to use and reach their villages and towns, and we have cut the roads to secure the area and to take control ,thus we won’t need to take such procedures."
About whether the participation of the American forces in these points considered as a violation to the Iraqi-American Security Agreement, he added:"We're here out of town and not inside it, because we do our jobs outside Mosul and if we did any task inside the city, then we must be accompanied by an Iraqi Patrol and so we are here to build this place and secure the area."
About the issue of lowering the Iraqi and Kurdish flags from the common points and raising a flag that has a lion head with a white background Jonathan said:"The presence of flags shows solidarity between the (Iraqi Troops and Kurdish Peshmerga Forces), and if the flags embraced together, this shows the unity in order to settle on one opinion and this means that we are one hand, the Americans,Peshmerga and Iraqi forces. " He added “Both flags of Iraq and Kurdistan must be raised on the common checkpoints."
About the main challenges they face he said: "These points are targeted by the terrorists, and we should and work together with the locals, and our duty is to support the Iraqis to face these challenges," he praised the cooperation of citizens in this Region saying that the " All citizens in these areas are collaborating with us to provide security. "
In regard to their preparations with the approach of the Iraqi parliamentary elections he said: "As we learned during the training of being exposed to terrorist acts, we are ready to secure the area as the terrorists are preparing to sabotage the electoral process, and I think that the elections will take place and we are ready for that day."
About the number of troops in the common point he said: "The number is equal and there is coordination between the Iraqi, Peshmerga and the American officers, and we have a program that act according to the plan."
Shahin Jawhar Iskandar,the commander of the Second Battalion in the first brigade which is related to the division 6 of the Peshmerga Forces said to (AKnews) that "The main task is to provide security to Mosul City and also to Kurdistan Region., and to secure the checkpoins."
He says: "We are fetching the vehicles, and if we received any information about a vehicle number or the name,we can do our tasks in cooperation with the Iraqi army."
He added:"We receive the orders from the Coordinating Committee in Mosul, where its members visit us from time to time," referring to that the Coordination Committee "includes senior Officers of the army,Peshmerga and the Americans."
About the extent of coordination with Nineveh Leadership Iskandar said :" We have specific orders to take control,and we focus on the tasks that are given to us. " He also confirmed “We are linked with our leadership in Duhok, and we have a coordinator with their leadership in the Coordination Committee, and any order issued from them,we implement it."
Alexander denied the possibility that an intersection in commands may happen and said: "No confusion or intersection in orders will happen because our representative is found within the Coordination Committee."
About the extent of coordination with the Iraqi Defense Ministry, he said: "as a searching point,we don't recieve instructions from that Ministry directly, but the Coordinating Committee does that."
About the complaints of the citizens about the existence of delay or disability to pass through these points, he explained: "This is not like the rest of the controls, but these are inspection places, and the vehicle that does not carry anything suspicious go normally, if there are doubts, it is our duty to search and inspect."
Iskandar added: "Concerning the allocation of lanes for both military and citizens, the presence of pathways depends on the volume of control, if the size permits ,then there will be a passage for military convoys in addition to regular passages."
He pointed out that:’both Iraqi and Kurdish flags are a unified one at and will be raised on all check points. He said:"We haven't had so far any information of this kind, and if we got orders to raise a common flag for all checkpoints then we will honorly do it."
Iskandar revealed that they did not face any remarkable thing so far and said: "So far there is nothing, and there may be armed action, but within the city, and there are wanted ones, and perhaps after two or three weeks some of them will try to cross from any point, and he will be arrested and the legal action will be taken against them."
He praised the cooperation of citizens with a common points and said: "citizens cooperated so much with us, and we look for such cooperation, some times a citizen may pass in his vehicle and give us information about a coming car or draw our attention to it or saw a car coming from a definite road and tell us information about it" He did not deny or confirm the existence of "results" for the cooperation of citizens.
About their preparations for the parliamentary elections Iskandar stressed that they are "ready for the election day and on standby because it is important to allow the citizens to vote safely on the election day."
Rn/Nn(AKnews)
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