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Bases Returning to Iraqi Control

Feb-24-2009 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

Bases currently occupied by the 1/25 SBCT are among those that will be handed over to Iraqi control eventually, according to an article by the Washington Times.

American troops in Iraq are beginning to pull back from bases and outposts that were linchpins in the U.S. surge that helped reduce violence, prevent a civil war and allow peaceful elections. [...]

In Baqouba, 35 miles north of Baghdad, a sprawling compound known as Combat Operations Post (COP) Hatoon was returned to its private owners earlier this month, and COP Tahrir, a school once used as a headquarters by al Qaeda in Iraq, will soon return to the Ministry of Education.

Soldiers on outposts near populated areas in Iraq often establish friendly relationships with residents during patrols. New restrictions on U.S. operations and the withdrawal of troops from cities may make that more difficult. (Richard Tomkins/The Washington Times)

Only a third or fewer of the 14 installations in Baqouba and surrounding Diyala province will remain after the withdrawal deadline, said Maj. John Sutton, the assistant operations officer of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which is part of the 25th Infantry Division.

"Just because we pull back doesn't necessarily mean we aren't going to have any presence. We just won't be in the populated areas themselves," he said.


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