America's North Shore Journal

Sheikh Shehab Ahmed Saleh Altmime has been running a non-tactical vehicle business on Joint Base Balad since August 2008. The business provides local nationals with jobs while providing a service to service members on base. “As reward of my work and my sincerity … [a] contract was signed between the Iraqi non-tactical vehicle oil station and Joint Base Balad about establishing the Iraqi Base Industrial Zone to do a lot of projects in an American base,” Shehab said. Shehab said he had to overcome barriers when he first made contacts with coalition forces. He had heard the bad propaganda and knew how the Iraqi people were afraid to get close to service members or enter JBB. But a week after coalition forces arrived, he met with commanders. After talking with American forces, however, he … Read entire article »