When the city of Basra was particular unstable between 2006 and 2008, the port of Umm Qasr was left to tread water as a contributor to Iraq’s economic development.

Now, however, through the collaboration of the Joint Interagency Task Force Iraq and Iraqi partners, the port is positioned to navigate over its next developmental hurdle.

Today, port operations are more secure than they were just two years ago when Shiite extremists controlled much of the area. Quelled by Iraqi forces, the city of Basra is now peaceful. The task force, which includes the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, is charged with aiding in Iraq’s reconstruction. Part of that collaboration includes devising a plan to make Umm Qasr more attractive to potential international trade partners.

Steadiness in a city that could be Iraq’s primary economic generator is a major priority of Multi-National Force – Iraq.

U.S. Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of Multi-National Force – Iraq, arrived Nov. 21 to speak with task force officials about progress at Umm Qasr and its efforts to meet mandates under the International Ship and Port Facility Code – a certification that more countries are obtaining to gain a larger slice of the global maritime marketplace.

A tool of the International Maritime Organization, the code is a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the security of ships and port facilities, developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

In the last few months, ships from such countries as North Korea, Jordan, Panama and Sierra Leone have arrived at Umm Qasr carrying wheat, cars and building materials. Built in 1958, Umm Qasr is designed to handle agricultural and manufactured goods and is Iraq’s only deep-water commercial port.

Odierno understands that implementing the certification for Umm Qasr is important to drawing more international trade prospects because the code is becoming the accepted standard in international shipping operations. The challenge is getting Iraqi stakeholders to embrace the concept as well.

“If they become more efficient, they have an incredible opportunity,” Odierno said of the port authority and its role in Iraq’s economic future.

Maj. Mark Reiswig, a civilian military transportation officer for the 34th Infantry Division, helps address port and security issues for task force’s Port Advisory Coordination Element. While Umm Qasr has made strides to bring the port nearer compliance, the bigger test is convincing Iraqi stakeholders that privatizing one of the state’s most significant state-owned assets will be key.

“The concept that you can come over as a company and make money is pretty foreign to them,” said Reiswig, of Rockville, Md. “Iraq will look like Kuwait and Bahrain, once they start to make [progress].”

The certification process is about eight months from being completed. Because an international port is only as safe as the incoming vessel’s last port of call and the cargo’s last inspection, it is essential that Iraq ensure measures are sufficient to fend-off threats and protection breaches, said Maitham Najim, Umm Qasr’s head of port security.

The task for “gave me a lot of direction, also a check list that helps,” Najim said.
The check list is long, but getting shorter.

Task force and port officials are working to improve various port security features, including better ways of controlling port access, screening and inspecting cargo, installing additional security equipment, upgrading customs processes and introducing automation.

Capital for the upgrades is being provided by a $370 million loan from Japan. At the port site, trucks move containers to one yard daily where they are off -loaded and moved to another yard to be used again. Before, containers were stacked in one location and left.

It’s getting better as far as efficiency, said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Joseph LoSciuto, PACE officer in charge, but there’s room for improvement across the whole port operation.

“Right now, it takes 10 days to process cargo once it comes in,” he said. “With the changes we want to implement, we can cut that down to five days.”

Under an agreement between the Syrian and Iraqi transport ministries, the first rail trip from the western Syrian seaport of Tartous to Umm Qasr took place earlier this year. According to Reiswig, having a working railway that connects to Basra’s port is an integral part of the transportation equation.

Advisors are pursuing a reduction of the number of port employees from 4,800 to 900, Luscioto said. That’s because the state-owned port, a major employer, has a long-standing tradition of patronage.

Convincing their Iraqi counterparts that trimming employee rolls is beneficial to the port’s overall efficiency will be a difficult, but essential for the port’s future.

There are no simple solutions, LoSciuto acknowledged, in convincing some Iraqi officials that the move to privatization is a move toward a stronger future in Iraq.

“This is important, but we can’t do it unless they want to do it,” Odierno said.

DVIDS
By Army Master Sgt. David Bennett

Nearly 1,350 students walked into two newly refurbished primary school buildings in Umm Qasr where, school city and Coalition officials dedicated the projects’ completion Feb. 19.

The two U.S. funded operations, totaling $271,100, outfitted the Al Nashaa and Al Marfaa schools with new paint, windows, electrical systems, plumbing, reconditioned bathrooms, roofs and desks.

Umm Qasr Mayor Salah Abdul Mahdy Habeeb, Director of Education Salem Kamel Arrayed, Director of Power and Utilities Ahmed Resan Sharhan, town council members, members of the Iraqi Marines, Coalition civil affairs representatives and school staff and students were on hand for the occasion.

“Today we open this school to be the future light for the students,” said Abu Ali, headmaster of Al Marfaa. “The first three words of the Koran means to ‘read.’ The scripture says it wants everyone to be educated. Education is the duty of every Muslim person.”

Many schools in Iraq are in poor condition because of a lack of upkeep, to include Umm Qasr. The schools here suffered from leaky roofs, broken windows and desks that were splintered and falling apart and other structural problems.

“Our main reason for these restorations was to provide the children with a safe learning environment,” said Sgt. Adam Kirschner, the project manager from 42nd Military Police Brigade at Camp Bucca.

He said these projects started when community members brought the issue of reconstruction to the town’s council. The city officials worked with Coalition civil affairs teams to create a proposal and form a contract.

Kirschner said that projects like these are important to the future of Umm Qasr because the town is growing rapidly due to the economic development generated by the country’s only deep-water port there in town.

“Last time we met, this school was in bad condition. This time we are meeting because the school is like new,” Habeeb said. “We were successful because of the cooperation between, the town’s people, the council and the Coalition forces.”

So far seven schools in the area have been refurbished in the last 12 months with help from Kirschner’s unit. He said that Umm Qasr Secondary School is next on the list and should start in about two weeks.

MNF-I

Imagine going to school in 110 degree heat, where the school has no air conditioning, no doors even. Lots of people in the Third World suffer to obtain an education. American students, take note.

Can you imagine going to school without air conditioning in the heat of the summer, or without doors for classrooms to prevent distractions? Many students in Iraq face this each day during the school year. With the help of Coalition Forces, town councils and contracting companies in Iraq, this problem is being addressed in Umm Qasr.

Both Iraqis and Coalition forces believed the Abi Ferras Primary School was in grave need of improvements. After careful planning, resourcing, and installation of new equipment, the school is again ready for students to attend in early September. A dedication ceremony was held at the school June 28.

“Prior to the restoration, windows were missing, paint was peeling from the cracked walls, and the desks were severely damaged. Plumbing and electricity were inoperable, there were no chalkboards; and the classroom doors were in pieces,” said Sgt. Adam L. Kirschner, Task Force Bucca Civil Affairs Office.

The Umm Qasr Town Council made a decision to emphasize improving the lives of the children of the community by ensuring a quality learning environment. The town council requested assistance with the refurbishment of the school through the United Kingdom’s Civil and Military Cooperation team from Northport, Umm Qasr. The CIMIC team developed the scope of work in conjunction with the town council, Abdul Karim, headmaster of the Abi Ferras Primary School, and Al Subai Contracting Company.

Approximately 450 students ranging in ages from 6-12 are expected to attend the school outfitted with new desks and chalkboards in September. Students will also be able to enjoy playground equipment, a first for the school.

The civil affairs office stated the contractor went above and beyond the original plan by adding things he believed were necessary, but were not in the contract.

“We’re very happy about the friendship we have with the Americans,” said Majid Talib Muzam, mayor of Umm Qasr. “The most important thing is education and we have that now.”

Thanks to this strategic partnership, the children of Umm Qasr have the chance for a better education.

“As with any project, it’s great to see the Iraqi people taking charge and putting personal effort into the repair and development of their own infrastructure and community,” said Kirschner. “For me, the best part of our Coalition efforts is being able to work with local people and government to help rebuild Iraq while developing lifelong friendships.”

Camp Bucca is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Basrah, Iraq.

MNF-I
By Spc. Amie J. McMillan, 42nd Military Police Brigade

DoD
By Mohammed Aliwi, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has turned control over the newly completed “roll-on/roll-off” berth at Umm Qasr Port to the Iraqi Port Authority.

Known as a RoRo because it serves “roll-on/roll-off” ships that share the acronym, the $2.7 million berth project doubles the number of the ships that can dock and unload simultaneously, said Rebecca Wingfield, GRS project engineer with Thi Qar Resident Office.

And that means that more goods can be delivered, raising the income of the port and subsequently its workers, she noted.

It is the second such berth to be completed at the port. The special berths are needed to accommodate the so-called “RoRo” ships, which come in a variety of capabilities. Some RoRo ships carry freight vehicles only, some carry freight vehicles and containers, and others transport cars without passengers. Freight-only ships represent three-fourths of the worldwide fleet of RoRos.

Natalie Sudman, the GRS project engineer, explained that the new berth was needed to replace an older, smaller one situated at the north end of the current berthing area of the port.

The existing ramp was unable to handle the increasing cargo demands and traffic congestion in the port and was posing a problem because vessels had to wait to dock and unload.

“For the shipper the RoRo vessel offers a number of advantages over traditional ships, notably speed,” Sudman said. “As the name of the system implies, cars and lorries can drive straight onto a RoRo ship at one port and off at the port on the other side of the sea within a few minutes of the ship docking.”

While the project was funded by the Army Corps of Engineers and supervised by its Gulf Region South District engineers, the berth was designed and built by Iraqis, Wingfield said.

“The Iraqi people can be proud of this project because it is theirs alone,” Wingfield said.

Yet another “good news” story out of Iraq that you won’t read in your local paper.

By A. Al Bahrani, Gulf Region South

BASRAH, Iraq, Jan. 24, 2007 — The Port of Umm Qasr directly influences the economy of Iraq and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers works to help improve the services of the Iraqi berths to handle the cargo flowing in or out of the country.

Natalie J. Sudman, a project engineer with the Gulf Region South District, oversees the $13.8 million project helping to expand the capacity of the port located south of the city of Basrah near the Kuwait border. It is Iraq’s only port, which helps to export and import commercial goods and services for the people, and its security and safety is a priority, Sudman said.

“To provide port security and harbor defense at the port of Umm Qasr, we installed a 9.7 kilometer chain link security fence around the perimeter of Umm Qasr North Port and South Port, built 19 observation posts, two points of entry, an interior and exterior truck staging areas,” she said.

A key benefit of providing port security and harbor defense is to give the Iraqi armed forces the facilities they need to protect their economy and promote growth.

“This is a major step toward attaining the international ship and port facility security code certification. This certification will lower insurance rates and make the Umm Qasr Port a more attractive port of call for foreign shippers,” Sudman said. “The certification will effectively increase the foreign trade with Iraq and increase employment rate in the local area jobs.”

The project is important to Iraq’s security and supports the major task of rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure by bringing in materials, Sudman said. Another task that engineers worked this past year was a project to provide reliable power for two cranes and the lighting at the port.

“With the addition of the two cranes, this project will increase imports and exports, and reduce the time of loading and unloading,” said Tom Eidson, a Gulf Region South project engineer. Eidson described how USACE supervised the connection of each crane to a 1.9 million volt generator and two kiosk-type transformers.

To increase the commercial trade through the port and improve capacity, Army engineers are constructing a new second roll-on and roll-off berth facility.

“The new roll-on, roll-off berth will be about twice the size of the existing one,” said Eidson, whose experience with the Corps exceeds 25 years, “and it will increase the commercial trade capability at the port. Currently, a large percentage of vessels using the port wait in line for the opportunity to berth. The new facility will significantly improve the amount of passengers and cargo flowing through the port.”

Eidson said that the new berth is strategically located in the center of the existing port and provides ships more room to maneuver and transfer cargo.

“The project will expand cargo and passenger use of the port, which is critical to the Iraqi economy as the nation rejoins the global markets,” said Talib Abd-Beneen, a Gulf Region South quality assurance engineer. “These safe, modern and reliable facilities will serve to boost trade, and ensure the efficient flow of goods in and out Iraq.”