Thousands
Turn Out to Denounce Violence
MOSUL,
Iraq (CENTCOM) – Over 2,000 members of the former Ba’ath
party turned out at the Mosul Public Safety Academy to renounce
their membership in the party, to denounce violence and to pledge
support to a new, free and democratic Iraq.
The ceremony is the largest held in the Nineveh
province to date.
Former officers in the Iraqi Army who were also
Ba’ath party members filed into the academy and signed an
agreement that disavowed their party affiliation and pledged to
cooperate fully with the Coalition Provisional Authority in serving
the people of Iraq.
Major Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general,
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), spoke to the former soldiers
and praised them for stepping forward to forge a united Iraq.
Retired Brigadier Gen. Safawi Mumtiz of the former
Iraqi Army, one of the events organizers said those in attendance
want to reject violence and terrorism and work toward the future
of Iraq. “We hope that this will be a good reflection to
other Ba’athists to participate in the process,” said
Mumtiz.
Mumtiz said the only difficulty in organizing
the event was in finding a facility big enough for their projected
attendance.
Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division worked
to gain the trust of retired officers who reside in and around
Mosul to show their willingness to form a new Iraq that provides
opportunities to everyone, according to 1st Lt. Strauss Scantlin,
431st Civil Affairs Battalion.
The 101st facilitated the events to support reconciliation
by former regime elements in order to ensure the democratic process
includes all Iraqis who are willing to support a free, safe and
democratic environment.
The ceremony is the first of two to be held in
Mosul. Tomorrow, former noncommissioned officers in the Iraqi
Army will come to the academy to renounce their membership and
show their support for a new Iraq.
The 101st continues to work with the citizens
and leaders of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic
nation.