Karbala: First province to witness complete US Military withdrawal

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Karbala celebrated today (Saturday) the handing over of the last post from the U.S. forces, making it the first province to have “no U.S. military presence according to the withdrawal agreement between the two countries.” “Today is a national occasion because Karbela is the first among Iraqi provinces to have the U.S. forces withdraw since 2003,” Governor of Karbela, Eng. Amal Al-Deen Al-Hir, told IraqiNews.com. “Husainiyah post (20 km outside of the city)  was handed over to the Iraqi forces,” he added. On the other side, Commander of Middle Euphrates Operations Othman Al-Ghanimi said that “the withdrawal is a connotation of the ability of our forces to provide protection.” “Iraqi forces received adequate training, and continue to do so. They are capable of handling any aggression against the country,” he added. The U.S. Husainiyah Commander described this handover as a “victory for freedom and a sign of cooperation.” “We can say that the Iraqi forces are capable of working independently in different circumstances, as well combating terrorist acts either from al-Qaeda or others,” he added. The commander concluded that the U.S. forces “did not do anything, and did not interfere in the work of the Middle Euphrates Operation Command, due to the realization that they would leave Iraq in due time.” RM (TS)/SR 1246