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July 23, 2004
Release Number: 04-07-46
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IRAQI ARMED FORCES BASE OPENS IN NORTHERN IRAQ
MOSUL, Iraq - The opening of the Al Kasik Military Training Base, which will eventually house the 3rd Division of the Iraqi Armed Forces, was celebrated by local leaders and government officials who gathered there Wednesday.
Over 12,000 Iraqi soldiers will eventually be stationed at Al Kasik, comprising four new brigades.
"Mosul is the center of northern Iraq, so it makes sense to have the base here," said Maj. Gen. Khorshed Saleem Al-Dosaky, commander of the 3rd Division. "We are also located close to the Syrian and Turkish borders to provide assistance there."
Located approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Mosul, the soldiers will be centrally located to provide assistance to all of northern Iraq. These soldiers will, together with the Iraqi National Guard and the Iraqi Police, contribute to the safety and security of northern Iraq.
"In the next year we will reach stability," said Al Dosaky. "With these new facilities I will be able to produce many well-trained troops."
Contractors worked for the last six months to rebuild the base, which Saddam Hussein began to build in the 1980s. Over 4,000 local Iraqis were employed to refurbish soldier barracks, build a dining facility, install sewer and water pipes and generate electricity for the base. A water treatment plant is also being built to ensure the quality of the water for the facility.
"We maximized utilization of local resources and the local community for this project," said Faisal Kedairy, Chief Executive Officer for Kedairy Construction, based in Baghdad, the lead construction company for the project. "Everything we did was handled locally and the work was all done by the local people."
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