First Province Under Total Iraqi Control

SAMAWAH – Coalition forces handed over responsibility for al-Muthanna province in southern Iraq to the provincial Iraqi government here on Thursday.Coalition officials said the province was ready to handle its own security and governmental responsibilities. It is the first of Iraq’s 18 provinces to achieve this status. More than 1,400 troops from Britain, Australia and Japan will move out of the province by the end of July, said Maj. Gen. Kurt A. Cichowski, Multi-National Force - Iraq deputy chief of staff of strategy, plans and assessments.The more than 600 Japanese troops who worked reconstruction duties in the province are already preparing to go home, while British and Australian forces stationed here are slated to move their operations to other parts of the country beginning next week.Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attended the event and said the transfer of responsibility was the beginning of a new era for Iraq, one that will “bring joy to all Iraqis.” He promised unwavering government support to the province of more than 500,000.“We promise to give you what you need to fight the terrorists,” he said.Cichowski, who was responsible for many of the efforts leading up to the transfer, and British Maj. Gen. John Cooper, commander of Coalition forces in southeastern Iraq, were also among those present.“We came not as conquerors but as liberators,” said Cooper, who touted al-Muthanna as a peaceful, hardworking province. “Multi-National forces will be available to you if you need help, but I don’t think that will be necessary,” he said to the crowd. Policemen, local tribesman and Soldiers from the 10th Iraqi Army Brigade danced and pumped their fists in celebration of the province’s autonomy. Women and children waved Iraqi flags as a flock of birds were symbolically released.Cichowski said the Iraqi brigade’s 1,800 Soldiers have been accredited with the highest level of training by Coalition forces and that the quality of training was a major factor in turning the province over.He said the competence of policemen in the province was another deciding factor.For the last four months, the local police force has run the Provincial Joint Operations Center here. The center’s role is similar to a 911 call center in the United States, enabling the police to react swiftly to emergencies and tips from citizens.A provincial SWAT team has recently completed its training, adding more security capability to the more than 3,000 policemen already patrolling al-Muthanna.“First one down, 17 to go,” Cichowski said. The criteria for the transfer of provincial authority are; threat, governance, security capabilities and the province’s relationship with the Coalition. Cichowski said al-Muthanna met all of those requirements.“They’re ready,” he said.