U.S. forces to withdraw from Thi-Qar’s Ur

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. forces will withdraw from the archaeological sites in Ur area, in the province of Thi-Qar, this month, according to a U.S. official on Sunday. “The sites will be handed over to the local authorities and tourists, and mass media will be permitted access,” Col. Scott Kendrick, the commander of the U.S. forces in the provinces of Thi-Qar and al-Muthanna, was quoted in a press release by the National Information Center as received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Kendrick, however, said that his forces are ready to back small-sized enterprises in the fields of education, health and computer applications. The U.S. military in Thi-Qar had taken the archaeological city of Ur as their headquarters after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. AmR (P)/SR 1