Saturday, 23 February 2008 By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, speaks with Sheik Ali, Salman Pak Sons of Iraq leader, at the home of Sheik Fathel, a Salman Pak council member, after the new government center opening in Salman Pak, Iraq, Feb. 20. Photo by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — A new government center opened in the city of Salman Pak, Feb. 20, returning the local government to its seat in the heart of the Mada’in Qada.  Sunni and Shia leaders of the qada, along with Soldiers and leaders of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), attended the opening ceremony.Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb., deputy commanding officer of the 3rd BCT, said Salman Pak is on the verge of a revival after years of domination by Sunni extremists.

“The city of Salman Pak has historic meaning,” Kuhn said. “It is the second oldest city in Iraq and one of the most historic.”

Many Iraqis travel to Salman Pak yearly to visit historic landmarks such as the Arch of Ctesiphon, one of the largest and oldest freestanding arches in the world, Kuhn said.

“All Iraqis have not been able to visit Salman Pak like they were in the past,” Kuhn said, adding that Salman Pak used to be a resort town where people flocked for family vacations. “Sunni insurgents took over the town; al-Qaeda had a great influence in the area.”

Kuhn said the mayor of the qada, Mushen Nasser, wants to restore what was lost to insurgent intimidation.

“The part of life that has been missing here is the ability to have fun without violence,” Kuhn said. “Since the Sons of Iraq, the Iraqi security forces, and Coalition forces have improved security, we are giving that an opportunity.”

During the ceremony, residents of the Mada’in Qada, the 3rd BCT’s area of operation, sang and danced to celebrate the newest addition to the city.

“You haven’t lived life until you visit Salman Pak,” they sang the words to a popular Iraqi song.

Kuhn believes returning the government to Salman Pak will greatly benefit all qada citizens.

“This returns the promise to all the good people of the Mada’in that the elected officials are not defeated by the insurgency,” he said. “Now the government can move forward to assist all the citizens. Today the insurgents have lost and the Mada’in Qada has won.”

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