Benefits And Support Given By Coalition Advisory Team
Close to two hundred citizens, Iraqi natives and locals gathered recently to hear a speaker from their own ranks. Fikrat Kareem is a council Advisory leader for Tunnis, and spoke about the local economy to residents from Tunnis, Suleikh, and Qahira neighborhoods.
This speech was the first of several addresses given during a February 9th Market Fair held outdoors in Suleikh. Along with the meeting, several different seminars on events, business affairs, and other business related topics were held. Various speakers addressed the crowd on topics of concern to the community and the businesses that attended the conference.
A new concept that was introduced at the Market fare was the idea of a business market action team. Such teams have proven successful in other neighborhoods such as Adhamiya.  The whole idea behind a business market action team is to involve people together working as a team on a common goal.
“We wish to have the leaders in these areas to work and form a non profit type organization, that reports to the Iraqi Government,†said Colonel Jeffery Bonner. Colonel Bonner is the Army Officer who is embedded as part of the MiTT transition team. “This way the leaders can have a council that has direct input to the Iraqi Government, to report on things they need, and to give feedback and suggestions to government leaders,†said Colonel Bonner.
Such a group would have an easier time working with various agencies and international groups who wish to aid in the rebuilding of Iraq. As a functioning not for profit group, they would be able to interact with groups such as the International Development Agency, and other groups.
“This region has developed into a very supportive and permissive area to work with leaders,†said Colonel Bonner. “Six months or more ago we would not have even thought to come to this location, now it is all changed for the better,†stated Colonel Bonner.
