Our Forces Control Sadr City’s Southern Part – U.S. Admiral
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Baghdad, Apr 20, (VOI) – A U.S. army admiral said on Sunday that his forces control the southern part of Sadr city, which was isolated from its northern part, while Tahseen al-Sheikhli, the civilian spokesperson for Fardh al-Qanoon (Law Imposing) plan, repeated the Iraqi government’s insistence on providing services in areas that witness military operations, especially Sadr city.
Admiral Patrick Driscoll explained in a press conference with al-Sheikhli in Baghdad that U.S. forces were able to control Sadr city’s southern part by separating it from its northern part, using a temporary concrete wall, and conducing security and military operations against armed groups that randomly open fire on residential neighborhoods and the Green Zone.He continued that the operations aim at stabilizing security, and bringing reconstruction teams to provide services and job opportunities, in order to raise the city’s economic level.
He added “Our security and military operations in Sadr city target the special groups that receive training and arms from Iran, to conduct attacks against civilians, by randomly rocketing residential areas.”
Concerning the women and children casualties that were caused by U.S. air strikes on Sadr city, Driscoll said, “U.S. forces have instructions for military engagement and conducting assaults, and they do not target children and women, but armed groups that carry out attacks and hide in mosques and schools.”
Regarding the confiscation of personal computers (PCs) during raid operations conducted by U.S. forces in residential areas, Driscoll said “confiscating PCs during raid operations at residential houses and areas directed us to gunmen’s safe hides and weapons caches.”From his side, Tahseen al-Sheikhli, the civilian spokesperson of Fardh al-Qanoon (Law Imposing) plan repeated the Iraqi government’s insistence on providing services to areas that witness military operations, especially Sadr city.
“Iraqi government is determined to provide services to areas where security clashes are taking place, or were ignored in the past decades, particularly Sadr city, by allocating 150 million U.S. dollars to rebuild the infrastructure and activate the social situation in Sadr city, by starting projects to absorb the unemployment impulse in the city,” al-Sheikhli said.
He added that during the last days, Baghdad Mayoralty worked on preparing Sadr city’s water project, in the northeastern part of the city, and specified engineering units and efforts in that regard.
Al-Sheikhli referred that Premier Nouri al-Maliki instructed the assistance committee at Baghdad operations command, and the related ministries, to provide services and emergency foodstuff inside cities.
Services are represented by water, electricity, foodstuff, and medicines.
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