US military hands over Sadr City

[ensho]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009620143154503787.html


US troops have handed over control of Baghdad's Sadr City district to the government of Iraq.

Military leaders held a ceremony in the Iraqi capital on Saturday to mark the handover of responsibility in the city's predominantly Shia district.

The US departure is popular with residents, but it is yet to be seen whether sectarian violence will flare ahead of elections in January.

-snip-

By the end of June, Iraqi troops will take over duties at 138 sites in Iraq's towns and cities formerly under the control of US soldiers.

Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, has described June 30 as a "blessed day" saying it will be a public holiday in celebration of the partial US withdrawal. It is also the anniversary of the 1920 revolt against the British occupation of Iraq.
-snip-
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slowly but surely

[NNN0LHI]

1. Are the mercenaries still there?

[Bandit]

2. Without the US MIlitary to back them up, I hardly think so..

:shrug:

[ensho]

3. think they are still there and will be so long as our military is there

or until their contracts run out.

[Life Long Dem]

4. Wow! This is good news!

And the silence or the lack of attention this is getting work's out good. Things tend to backfire with media hype and all over stuff like this and it could have been a disaster with increased bombings and such, but with Iran on the radar, this snuck in there just right, and for the celebration going on in Iraq? Congratulations!! You guy's really deserve it! Hang in there!