TIKRIT, Iraq -- More than 1,100 former fighters have reconciled with Iraqi Security and Coalition forces in the Salah ad Din province since May. Musalahah, meaning reconciliation in Arabic, is a combined effort between the Qadah level Government of Iraq, the leadership of the Iraqi Police, the 4th Iraqi Army Division and the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. By turning themselves into the Joint Coordination Centers across the province, Iraqis are seeking to clear their names. Men who are thought to have committed crimes are given a court date, so they can plead their cases before an Iraqi judge.
The city of Balad and its outlying areas, once wracked by violence, has seen nearly 700 men reconcile with the Iraqi government.
"Former fighters in the Balad Qadah have stepped forward to reconcile with their fellow countrymen, and 76 of them have been given court dates to appear before an Iraqi judge," said Lt. Col. Bob McCarthy, a 32nd Cavalry Regiment squadron commander. "This is a key step in reestablishing their ties to the communities, rejoining their families in their homes and becoming active participants in Iraq's future."
As a result of the mass reconciliation in the Balad area, McCarthy's Soldiers, along with Iraqi Army soldiers and Police, have been led to multiple weapons caches by those who have reconciled.
As in Balad, the provincial capital of Tikrit and the Sunni dominated enclave of ad Dwar, has had similar success with the reconciliation process. More than 400 men have reconciled in the area.
Over the last few days, the number of Iraqis wishing to reconcile has doubled in the restive city of Bayji. "The people of Salah ad Din have seen the worst that al-Qaeda has to offer and have rejected criminal wholesale," said Lt. Col. John King, 1st BCT deputy commander. "The provincial leadership is serious about rebuilding the province and the country."