*EPF505 08/08/2003
U.S. Commander Says Stabilization Efforts Are Flourishing in N. Iraq
(Defense Department Report, August 8: Iraq Operational Update) (450)

U.S. Army Colonel Michael Linnington says stability and support operations carried out by soldiers under his command in northern Iraq have flourished as a result of the more secure environment that they have provided.

Linnington, speaking via video teleconference between Mosul and the Pentagon August 8, said the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade has infused the local economy with $11 million that is being used to fund repairs of schools, hospitals, health care clinics, banks, police stations and water works.

"We are working hard across the board to improve the quality of life of the average Iraqi citizen," he told reporters monitoring the video feed at the Pentagon. Linnington also said it is encouraging to have newly elected local Iraqi officials "not only endorsing our efforts but helping us identify the areas of need where our programs can be best targeted."

He also noted that his division brought together state and private institutions in a $14 million deal in recent days to renovate the Nineveh Hotel "as part of an effort to boost Mosul tourism and the regional economy."

The 101st has been in the farming area of northern Iraq since mid-April, where they control border-crossing points with Syria and Turkey. The division also controls access to the Tigris River's Freedom Dam northwest of Mosul.

While some of the 3rd Brigade's area of responsibility is considered the safest and most secure in the country, Linnington said there are "still remnants of individuals who are not committed to our cause."

Security continues to be the main priority, he said. His soldiers will remain vigilant, Linnington added, and will seek to sideline hostile forces "that want to disrupt the stability of northern Iraq or threaten the lives and welfare of American soldiers."

While the enemy's ability to attack U.S. military assets in large numbers has been reduced in recent weeks, the commander noted that, as a result, enemy forces are going after softer targets. In recent weeks, he said, attacks against his personnel have been launched from a distance, away from fixed sites, or have focused on small convoys operating in and around the division area.

He said his soldiers have not encountered foreign fighters during their patrols.

In response to a question from a reporter, Linnington said elements of his brigade have seen "some very small numbers of individuals that are selling weapons in the markets," and they quickly break up that illegal activity. "We've not seen any organized selling of larger caliber weapons or RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades) or things like that," he added.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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