Defence

The $12 million date palm project has seen the restoration of irrigation canals, ditches and sluice gates, and the planting of 141,000 date palm shoots on 500 acres of date palm farms.

The project, co-ordinated by the Provincial Reconstruction Development Committee (PRDC) Agricultural Committee, headed by Mr Ghali Najem, combined the skills and advice from the Date Palm Research Institute, the Basra Agricultural Extension Centre, Basra University and the Provincial Reconstruction Team.

The completion of the project was marked with a silver spade date palm ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Najem thanked the Multi National Force saying:

"This sort of project permits power and wealth and also improves the local and Iraqi economy in general."

It is hoped that this project alone will create up to 5,000 enduring jobs on 3,326 farms, whilst leading to additional employment opportunities for the wider community through transportation and sales.

Attending the ceremony, the British Consul General for Basra, Mr Richard Jones, took the opportunity to thank the many agencies that helped make the Basra Date Palm regeneration project a success:

"We are together helping restore part of Basra's heritage," he said. "The date palm is deeply symbolic. So much so, that it appears on the city's crest. Their destruction over recent decades is a source of profound anger.

"The project has provided employment to those involved in the planting of date palms and the restoration of irrigation ditches and we hope that it will continue to employ thousands of Baswaris, give Basra province a valuable export and provide a long-term boost to the local economy.

"This is a long term investment and the project will go on to restore local irrigation networks and train farmers."

The Multi National Division (South East) (MND(SE)) supported the project at all stages of its delivery, from the early planning through to the security of the silver spade event.

Major General Jonathan Shaw, General Officer Commanding MND(SE) said:

"It signifies that we are helping redevelop the country and that's a continuing theme for the future.

"We'll increasingly move into a supporting role – supporting the Iraqi infrastructure redevelop itself - and also support the Iraqi Forces to develop themselves so that ultimately the Iraqis can take total control of their country.

"Increasingly our role is one of planning and coordination and getting the Iraqis to do it for themselves. One of the major projects that's being planned at the moment, for instance, is clearing out the canal system in downtown Basra.

"We're helping plan the clearance of one canal system - Basra has loads of canals, it was called the Venice of the Gulf some years ago - and we're hoping that this encourages the Iraqis to plan further clearances of their waterways, which are so essential for the future health and prosperity of Basra City.

"We're moving into the background and the Iraqis are increasingly taking control of their own future.

"This situation today illustrates the majority of Iraqis are happy that we're here and are very keen for the sort of redevelopment that we have to offer.

"So I feel that this is an extremely optimistic sign, not just to me but also to the soldiers to see that actually the work they are doing is appreciated by the Iraqis, and it gives them a sense of purpose for why we are here and the good we are doing here."