Photo By John Crosby | Spc. Sam Esquibel, a petroleum supply specialist in Company B, 202nd Brigade Support...... read more read more
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MANSURIYAH, Iraq – Iraqis received kerosene rations, Jan. 17, when the Diyala provincial government organized a fuel drop for the citizens of Mansuriyah, Iraq, after they went months without.
Hundreds of citizens of Mansuriyah, located just outside Muqdadiyah, Iraq, lined up to receive their rations, 20 liters per person, from Troop G, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, which also provided security for the event.
The event is one of several missions 2-3 ACR has conducted in the area since the beginning of Operation Raider Harvest, a large scale mission to secure the northern Diyala River Valley and provide Iraqis aid and services.
"Coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and Muqdadiyah Iraqi police all helped achieve our goals in taking back the Bread Basket," said Muqdadiyah Mayor Najem Abdulah Ahmed through an interpreter. "After clearing the area controlled by terrorists, we provide services, food and kerosene for villages that have been isolated. Mansuriyah is one of these villages. They have been selected by the Diyala provincial government and coalition forces to receive these services and kerosene."
Other such services include food drops, medical missions and the rebuilding of children's schools.
"We will be renovating a boy's school and girl's school starting tomorrow hopefully," said Capt. Jonathon Norquist, a civil affairs officer in 2-3 ACR. "We did a walk through yesterday and we're discussing price quotes with a local contractor today. We have been creating projects on the fly. Soon we will provide 400 people here with jobs clearing the canals of vegetation to improve water flow through the area. We want to improve our relations with the Iraqis here and build trust."
Men, women and children of all ages showed up for the fuel drop, most to collect their rations, others to observe the coalition forces in their neighborhood.
"The security situation was very bad, the drivers were scared to bring kerosene to us," said Mansuriyah citizen Habas Majeed Ahmed, through an interpreter. "This help is very important because in the raining season we cannot live without kerosene. The security situation has gotten a lot better. Some of the citizens are scared of the coalition forces, because al-Qaida tells them U.S. Army Soldiers are killers and their helicopters destroy our houses. But when they see the truth, when they see the reality, they will be very, very friendly with coalition forces."
| Date Taken: | 01.19.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 01.19.2008 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 15598 |
| Location: | MANSURIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 347 |
| Downloads: | 340 |
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