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Where Is Balad In Iraq ?
Balad is located to the north of the capital city of Baghdad. Balad is situated in the province of Salah ad Din in its namesake, and it has a majority of Shiite Muslims. |
However, this town is considered to be strategically located in the Sunni Triangle formed by the cities of Baghdad, Tirkit and Ar Ramadi.
Balad is a strategically important military town, as it has a number of bases. Within the triangle, the multinational coalition forces have been subject to a lot of attacks. It is also popular among the ardent Baath Party members as it is this town which is the birthplace of the party. The town is
Near the town, there is a facility known as Joint Base Balad which houses units from the US army and air force. Also, some soldiers from the US navy are based here. In the early parts of 2007, the base was the central location from where the US air force commenced its operations. In addition, this base is a major transit point for many convoys bringing supplies to the US army located in the entire area.
In the town of Balad, it is estimated that around 20,000 soldiers from the US armed forces are stationed. When the US government starts withdrawing its troops from Iraq, it is believed that this would be the last installation to be dismantled because of its strategic location bang in the middle of the hostile zone.
Balad is also home to many civilian contractors working for the US government, who are working to rebuilt Iraq. Mostly construction personnel live in the southwestern part of the city. Even soldiers who take part in special operations are housed in the city. However, their residential and office areas are guarded by very high walls. No outside visitors are allowed into the precinct. In fact, even the chief of the public affairs department of the US army has not had the privilege to enter this highly guarded sanctuary.
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