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FOB KALSU, Iraq (May 4, 2008) - Approximately 120 men of the
Chalabi tribe returned to their homes recently in the Sayafiyah
region, about 25 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, more than a year
after being driven out by al-Qaeda in Iraq extremists.
1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), a
large convoy of cars and trucks ushered the Chalabi men back to
their abandoned village. Their reclamation of homes signaled the
hopeful beginning of a new era of peace and security.
The Chalabi village, located approximately 5 kilometers west of
Sayafiyah and the Tigris River, used to contain a population of
more than 2000. Being a Shia tribe in a Sunni-dominated area, the
Chalabis of the Sayafiyah region were a prime target for AQI and
other Sunni insurgents.
Driven out of their homes approximately 18 months ago by AQI,
the Chalabis were forced to leave behind farms, animals, equipment
and all their seed and fertilizer stored for the coming planting
seasons.
The village became a ghost town. Uninhabited, homes fell into
disrepair and irrigation ditches dried up as security concerns
prevented the Chalabis from reclaiming their land.
Now, as the Sayafiyah region returns to peace and stability, the
Chalabis are making the first steps toward rebuilding their lives.
Those men who have returned from exile are ready to repair their
homes and farms. In the coming weeks they will return their
families back to the area.
While security is a vital first step, there is still a long road
ahead before they can return to their customary way of life.
Essential services such as water and electricity must be restored,
along with costly repairs to existing buildings and property.
However, for the first time in years there is hope among the
Chalabis as they return to resume life in a stable environment.
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