US hands over Najaf base to Iraqis
Iraqi chants of “long live” a top Shiite cleric, the US Army handed over its base in Najaf today, giving Iraqis full control of the city as a first step in transferring security across the country.
The US commander of Forward Operating Base Hotel, Lt. Col. James Oliver, handed the ceremonial keys to the installation to the new Iraqi commander, Col. Saadi Salih al-Maliky.
About 1,500 Iraqi soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 8th Division marched by. Before the ceremony, the Iraqi soldiers, all Shiites, chanted “long live Sistani”, referring to top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and “Saddam is a coward”.
US forces have relocated to another base further outside the city so they could assist in a major security crisis.
The US-led coalition plans to hand over control of other cities to the Iraqis, gradually reducing its security profile. If all goes according to plan, this would enable the United States to focus on the insurgency-ridden Sunni Arab areas to the north.
