www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/28/2103148.htm?section=world
the Iraqi students rode with a police escort through the Fallujah streets. the Iraqi students rode with a police escort through the Fallujah streets. The city's police chief fired the starting shot to set the students from 15 intermediate and secondary schools off on the five-kilometre race across the town, 50km west of Baghdad. Police motorbikes escorted them along the road and scores of policemen in blue uniforms were deployed around the start and finish lines. We needed this because of what we have been through," Ayad Ghaleb Salem, a school teacher, said. Scores of families lined the streets to watch the race and residents of the milled around the riders to congratulate them after the race. Security in Fallujah, scene of some of the fiercest battles in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, has gradually improved this year and something resembling normal life is returning to the city. A year ago western Anbar, in which Fallujah sits, was second only to Baghdad as the most violent province in Iraq. New beginnings The turnaround in Fallujah's security happened after the development of US-backed neighbourhood police units formed by local Sunni Arab tribal leaders to drive Al Qaeda out of Anbar. "This proves that the security situation in Fallujah is very good," said Colonel Faisel Ismael, head of the city's police. Haitham Abdul-Razek raised his arms in the air as he crossed the finish line to win a $1,000 ($A1135) cash prize and a trophy. "Bring the trophy, bring it," some students chanted after the race, echoing a popular song among Iraqis after their national soccer team won the Asian Cup this year. "Even though I did not win I am happy that Fallujah's name was held up high today," 17-year-old rider Marwan Khoedeiri, said, adding he had not been scared to compete because of the security provided by police and army. Attacks across Iraq have fallen by 55 per cent since a "surge" of 30,000 extra troops became fully deployed in mid-June, part of a security crackdown aimed at averting civil war between majority Shiite Muslims and minority Sunni Arabs. Despite the improvement the largely Sunni Arab province of Anbar ranked fifth in attacks among Iraq's 18 provinces from early May to late July this year, according to a quarterly Pentagon report released in September.
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