Doura Neighborhood Leaders Meet With Military Task Force Dragon
Leaders from the Doura region, Coalition forces, and other Iraqi leaders met recently to set up goals and establish priorities. Soldiers from Task Force Dragon met with local leaders on January 8th and made good progress in goal setting and getting to know one another.
Task Force Dragon is part of 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment and is new to the area, having been in country less than thirty days.
“We know that reconciliation is at first just a local issue, then it becomes a national one,” said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Watson. Watson is Commander of 2nd of the 4th Infantry Regiment. “Doura has made huge strides in local reconciliation with other local councils,” stated Colonel Watson.
Coalition Leaders and Doura tribal leaders discussed challenges and goals for the entire Rashid District during their meeting. Watson told the assembled leaders “You all have done a fine job of local problem solving already,” said Watson. “We now just have to show the Iraqi government that you in Doura are doing a wonderful job,” was Colonel Watson.
The biggest concern in the past has been security, but more and more citizens are stepping up to assist and most of the insurgents and extremists have been found out and eliminated.
“We had gotten past most of the necessary fighting, now we can focus on our main efforts to rebuild our region,” said Iraqi Colonel Kadhem. Colonel Kadhem is 2nd Battalion 7th Brigade commander of 2nd Iraqi National Police Division.
“We want to assist you all in specific areas, like trash collection, water, sewer and electric services,” Colonel Watson remarked to the Doura leaders gathered at the meeting.
