Baghdad residents welcome green zone handover

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Local residents in the Iraqi capital welcomed the handover of the green zone, central Baghdad, which includes the government headquarters and republican palace, from U.S. forces to Iraqi authorities while others cast doubts over the Iraqi forces’ capabilities to wield control over the heavily-fortified area. Iyad al-Abboudi, a 34-year-old journalist and a local resident of al-Amil neighborhood, southern Baghdad, told IraqiNews.com news agency that the green zone transfer is the first step in the implementation of the Iraqi-U.S. long-term security pact. The Iraqi parliament had passed the pact, also known as the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), on November 27, 2008, just 10 days after the Iraqi cabinet approved with an overwhelming majority. “The Iraqi security forces can control the zone, now that Maj. General Qassem Atta, the official spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC), has said during the handover ceremonies that the security men assigned to protect the area will be trained use Detectors, closed-circuit TVs and electronic checkpoints, which will not be replaced by other equipment,” Abboudi told IraqiNews.com news agency. On Thursday (1-1-2009), Atta said that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared as “National Sovereignty Day” the handover of security responsibilities for the green zone from U.S. forces to Iraqi authorities. “The national unity government has received on Thursday (1-1-2009) the Republican Palace and security duties for the green zone, for which the forces of the Baghdad Brigade will provide security,” Atta told IraqiNews.com news agency in a press conference he held on Thursday. The security transfer for the green zone coincides with the beginning of the security pact between Iraq and the United States to enter into effect as a preliminary step for the Iraqis to receive security tasks for the whole capital city later. “The Baghdad Brigade forces will be stationed at the six outlets leading to the green zone, where the Iraqi flag will be raised over checkpoints, while the Multi-National Force’s future role will be confined to logistical support and training,” Atta said. “Detectors, closed-circuit TVs and electronic checkpoints in the green zone will remain as they are in their previous places,” he said, adding the MNF will provide training for the Iraqi Baghdad Brigade forces on the use of the equipment. He pointed out that Maliki has assigned the higher security committee that received the green zone to conduct studies on the possibilities of opening the green zone outlets to citizens. The zone, lying on the west bank of the River Tigris, stretches over an area of 10 square kilometers. It is the headquarters of the republican palace, the Iraqi government, parliament, a number of ministries, residential sections and offices of several top Iraqi officials as well as the conference hall and al-Rasheed Hotel. It also includes the headquarters of the U.S., British, western and Arab embassies in Iraq. The U.S. forces had set up this zone after they entered Baghdad in 2003 and surrounded it with high concrete walls. Later on Thursday, a spokesman for the U.S. forces revealed that the handover was an initial step that will be subject to assessment after three months. “The green zone and the republican palace were handed over to the Iraqi government. We’re fully confident that the Iraqi Baghdad Brigade will be capable of imposing security and order inside the zone,” said the spokesman during a press conference held in Baghdad. However, Nizar al-Hashemi, 45, a local resident of al-Qadissiya neighborhood, adjacent to the green zone, said he could not judge the Iraqi forces’ abilities to maintain security in the zone “unless security officials’ promises to open the streets so that residents can move smoothly are fulfilled”. “Only then I’d be certain that the green zone has actu