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December 2, 2008 7:15:51 PM CST

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US Hands Anbar Province to Iraqis

Posted Sep 1, 08 6:30 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – The American military is finally handing over control of Anbar province, once the center of the Sunni insurgency, to Iraqi forces today. Once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, Anbar was transformed as Sunni militants allied themselves with the US. The transfer of Anbar, delayed several times, brings the number of provinces under Iraqi control to 11 out of 18, reports the BBC.

More than 25% of all American solders killed in Iraq died in Anbar province, the country's largest. While the handover represents a major milestone for security in the country, the American military remains concerned that the area's Sunni tribal leaders may not work together with the central government in Baghdad. US troop levels in Anbar will decline, one commander tells the BBC, though not immediately.

Source BBC

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People shop at a market in downtown Fallujah, in Iraq's Anbar province.   (AP Photo/Kim Gamel)
Members of a six-party delegation of sheiks from Iraq's Anbar Province leave the White House in Washington following a meeting with President Bush and other administration officials.   (AP Photo)
A U.S. marine watches children play in Ramadi, in Iraq's Anbar province, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad.   (AP Photo/Todd Pitman)
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Iraq • Iraq war • US military • Anbar • Sunni militants • Sunni Awakening


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