Photo By Maj. David Olson | TAJI, Iraq -- Sheik Saeed Jassim Hamid, Qada chairman, Mr. Paul Brinkley, Deputy Under...... read more read more
CAMP TAJI, Iraq " The U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Tarmiya Qada Building north of Baghdad Friday and to see other reconstruction projects in the city.
Mr. Paul Brinkley, the DUSD BT, and Sheik Saeed Jassim, the Qada chairman, collectively used a pair of scissors to cut the green and purple ribbon to open the city council building and then proceeded to visit the medical clinic and the youth center to conduct an economic assessment on the progress in the city.
After the project tour, Brinkley spoke with Sheik Jassim at length over lunch at the Qada Building with Col. James Pasquarette, commander, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and Maj. Herb Joliat, civil military officer, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., who facilitates the reconstruction projects.
Sheik Jassim fielded questions from Brinkley on the economy and security.
"We have food. The only thing we can't afford is the water," Jassim said. "By the end of July, the water line project from the Khark Water Treatment Plant will be complete." The KWTP will provide fresh drinking water for the citizens of Tarmiya.
Pasquarette provided a summary of recent events for the senior defense department official. Before the military operation to reestablish civil control of Tarmiya, the city was a hotbed of terrorist activity with many murders, kidnappings, small-arms fire and roadside bomb attacks. The Iraqi police station was a frequent target of terrorist attacks and the citizens were often intimidated, he said.
"Before we came into Tarmiya, we thought the citizens were actively, or at least passively, supporting the terrorists. No one would volunteer to become a policeman," Pasquarette explained. "There was only one squad of Iraqi soldiers on top of the Iraqi police station to help provide security."
"On 25 March, we came into the city, set up a security barrier and the insurgents left," Pasquarette continued. "We were wrong about the citizens; they didn't like the terrorists any more than we do. Now they are happy with the security situation and when we helped organize an Iraqi police recruiting campaign, over 2,000 citizens of Tarmiya volunteered."
Brinkley made some economic observations. "Iraq must develop economically. The Department of Defense can not replace the economy with anything until the people can trust each other and work together."
Brinkley asked Maj. Joliat some questions about the reconstruction effort.
One question was how to change funding and Joliat responded, "We need to raise the dollar limit for the commander's emergency response program funds." The $200,000 limit is too restrictive, because CERP funds are the most responsive and versatile to this situation with the quickest turn around time to get projects completed, he said.
Overall, the visit was deemed a success and Mr. Brinkley received a good perspective on reconstruction projects in the 1st BCT area of operations.
| Date Taken: | 06.15.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2006 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 6820 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 27 |
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