In this edition
Marines Strengthen Ties with Iraqi Village
GoI Opening Classrooms, Opening Minds
Rule of Law Conference highlights progress in Ministry of Interior court system
IP receive tools for investigating crime scenes
Truck handover brings hope of clean future
Marines Strengthen Ties with Iraqi Village
CAMP AL TAQADDUM — U.S. Marines recently visited the a village of Kem Esbani to strengthen the rapport Coalition forces established with the town since the U.S. entered Iraq in 2003.
The commanding officer of Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Lt. Col. Todd M. Jenkins, chose to visit the town to enhance relations with its people by providing them with supplies, medical care and other basic needs. He hopes these acts will promote the exchange of ideas between Coalition forces and the citizens here.
Jenkins and other 2nd Marine Logistics Group leaders sat with the village leaders to discuss their challenges and needs. During the meeting, other Marines from the logistics group handed out blankets, mattresses, toys, soccer balls and water to villagers who lined up with anticipation and excitement.
One Iraqi explained to the Marines that the village’s biggest need is fresh water, mentioning the village draws their water from a nearby canal. The water is not purified and could result in future health problems for the families that reside in the tight-knit community.
According to Capt. Jack D. Pearce, the company commander of Company A, MWSS-373, the unit is looking to help alleviate this problem by diverting water to the village from a newly constructed water treatment plant in nearby Kabani.
Several previously deployed Marines from MWSS-373 explained that a civil engagement like this would not have been possible a couple of years ago, but with last year’s decrease in violence, they now have the opportunity to assist Iraqi citizens with acts of kindness more often.
“The first tour I was here, there was almost zero traffic and we didn’t get the good fortune of seeing families out,” Jenkins said. “This time we see a lot of big families with happy kids that are doing better economically.”
Jenkins plans to return his Marines to the town in the near future to follow up on what he calls a “ground-breaking” meeting to provide further aid to the villagers.
Blanket Bequest
GoI Opening Classrooms, Opening Minds
Saturday, 28 February 2009 Multi-National Division – North Release
FOB WARRIOR — The Government of Iraqi’s (GoI) commitment to progress is continuing in the form of three new classrooms which opened at the Hegna Primary School, Feb. 15. The additional classrooms will allow younger children to focus on educational fundamentals.
“This is a great opportunity for the children of Hegna to have greater access to a learning environment and will allow teachers to be able to focus more closely on the children by reducing the classroom sizes,” said, Capt. Justin Michel, a company commander with the 1st Cavalry Division.
According to Michel, the GoI has taken the responsibility of providing for its country’s future and is determined to create better lives for its citizens and its children by continuing to add on to this school and schools like it around the country.
The children of Hegna are not the sole benefactors of the GoI school openings.
“Opening more classrooms creates opportunities for local teachers to use their skills to benefit the village’s children,” said Michel. “The continuing improvements to the infrastructure of Iraq are beginning to be more and more apparent in towns like Hegna. The GoI is providing its citizens the vital social services they need to continue to build a bright future for their country.”
Gone Fishing
Rule of Law Conference highlights progress in Ministry of Interior court system
BAGHDAD – A Rule of Law Conference in Baghdad recently highlighted the progress made in establishing the new Ministry of Interior court system as Iraq moves from a confessionary-based legal system to one based on evidence and enforcing the rule of law.
The MoI’s Internal Security Forces Court system, established in July 2008, focuses on crimes committed by policemen. Its use will increase the Iraqi public’s trust in the police forces by ensuring that no one is above the law.
“If there is justice, the right is then returned to whom it belongs - the people” said Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Abdul Kadhim Jodha, Chief Judge of the Court of Cassation, in his opening remarks. A Court of Cessation can review and possibly overturn previous rulings made by lower courts. The court is roughly equivalent to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Saad al Hindawi, Chief Counsel and Legal Advisor for the MoI, told the conference that the most important legislation last year was the Internal Security Forces Penal Code and the establishment of Procedural Law for the Internal Security Forces.
The two laws established a court system for the MoI. The MoI court system now has five regional courts located in Irbil, Mosul, Baghdad, Hilla and Basra, with the Court of Cassation also in Baghdad. The courts began operations in late July 2008 after extensive training for all judges.
Hindawi said that 1,047 cases were referred to the MoI’s Internal Security Forces court system. He said 6,000 other cases were referred to the civilian court system, with 4,200 of those being for corruption.
Jodha expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Embassy - Iraq, the Multi-National forces, and the international community “for supporting Iraq’s efforts to reinforce the rule of law in this country. The importance of this role is that it is the right path towards building a stable, democratic state.” Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq provided advisory and legal support while training judges throughout the country.
Jodha relayed how in the past, the laws of Iraq helped further tyranny and authoritarianism. “It was coupled with the repressive executive security forces not built to bring welfare and happiness to the society. It was built to protect the power and those in control. So what happened when the regime fell in Iraq was a real legal and social revolution.”
He added that the Cassation Court carefully reviews every case. There were 1,199 cases reviewed in 2008. He noted how the Cassation Court now studies all cases of the accused. Jodha said the court would not accept a conviction on a confession alone and that there must be supporting evidence. “If a confession is not based on sound or conclusive evidence, the case is returned to a lower court for review,” he said.
In closing, he thanked the U.S. Embassy - Iraq and Coalition forces for hosting the conference. “We convey to you the gratitude and appreciation of the Iraqi people for holding this conference, reflecting your care and attention for the safety and security of the Iraqi people,” said Jodha.
MNSTC-I’s efforts in training and mentoring its Government of Iraqi partners represents a vital step towards ensuring Iraq’s self-sufficiency for the future.
Seafood Special
IP receive tools for investigating crime scenes
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi crime scene investigators in Salah ad-Din Province evidence sections received 16 forensic evidence processing kits Feb. 25 to enhance their crime scene evaluations throughout the region.
The kits were presented by the 733rd Military Police Battalion and other Multi-National Division-North personnel at the Joint Expeditionary Forensic Facility on Contingency Operating Base Speicher.
“These kits will be very helpful for our crime scene investigators to find fingerprints within a crime scene,” said Col. Laith Mohammed Hameed, Salah ad-Din crime scene investigator chief. “We have a shortage of helpful materials to use in our efforts to protect our people, but with the additional equipment we have now, we will be able to find the truth at the crime scene and apply the law in a better way.”
The investigation kits are part of a province-wide initiative known as Iraqi Police Primacy. The initiative’s goal is to establish a unified and capable Iraqi Police force that has the sole authority to maintain security through law enforcement and civil order actions in accordance with Rule of Law.
Coalition law enforcement officers explained the purpose of the investigation kits to Iraqi Policemen and what the items are used for.
“The contents in the investigation kits are the same materials you could find in a patrol car back in the United States – different sized paper, plastic bags to collect evidence, digital cameras to document a crime scene, pens and pencils for diagram purposes, fingerprint powder and brushes, and crime scene tape to mark off a crime scene -- the basic elements for the Iraqi Police to perform their job,” said Special Agent Dave Elkins, 733rd MP Bn., Criminal Investigation Division, who works at the JEFF lab.
“This will give the Iraqi crime scene investigators the ability to collect and preserve evidence in order to take to a lab and gather DNA or prints or whatever the circumstance requires – all-in-all the Iraqi police will be able to effectively protect the public,” he added.
The 16 Iraqi Police Department Headquarters in Salah ad-Din province will receive the investigations kits and incorporate the equipment in their daily operations, according to Laith.
Royal Ruins
Truck handover brings hope of clean future
FOB LOYALTY, Iraq – Twenty waste sanitation trucks were turned over to the Government of Iraq during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Loyalty, Feb. 25.
The new trucks, used for sewage maintenance and repair, give the Iraqis additional capacity to work out sanitation problems in eastern Baghdad, said Conrad Tribble, chief of the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
“It’s a tangible sign of what the U.S. government is doing to help Baghdad really address concrete needs. We’re not doing this to make ourselves look good, but to make their country better,” explained Tribble.
“Ultimately, the goal is to increase the capacity of the municipal government and government legitimacy,” said Maj. Brad Hofmann, the civil military operations chief, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div.
Hoffman and his team purchased the sewage trucks with Commander’s Emergency Response Funds to enable the municipal governments of Baghdad’s Karadah, Rusafa and 9 Nissan districts.
“The trucks are going to fix the sewage and people are going to love it,” said Abel Hassan Al Fetlawi, the chief engineer of the New Baghdad province. “This is a pretty good thing.”
Stumble It!
