al qaeda haven no more, iraq's falluja rebuilds - solar powered street lights

FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters)-
Faruja, once at the heart of Iraq's bloody insurgency, hopes to exchange mortar shells for bricks and mortars as he seeks to heal the wounds and return to normal.
With the increase in the number of police officers on the streets, there are indications that the city is achieving this goal.
During the day, people, cars and minibuses compete on the streets when police try to guide the heavy traffic.
In the evening, men relax, smoke and talk in plastic chairs.
Driving is still banned, but people ride bikes and kids play street football in the light of the recently installed solar energy
Electric street lights.
Public works projects, large and small, are underway in the city.
In the west of the city, the minarets are erected above a new mosque to replace buildings destroyed in air strikes.
There are new hospitals, clinics and schools.
On the outskirts of the city, men in blue overalls lay concrete for a large sewage treatment plant.
The dump has become a nearby park.
Locals believe that the construction sites guarded by the police and the safety they provide are the basis for reconstruction.
"Improved safety means new job opportunities," said Muaed Abid, a former teacher at the Falluja overpass project in 50 km (32 miles)
West of Baghdad
"Not only that, we can have a normal life," he said, sitting in the car.
On one occasion, under the control of al-Qaida, Fallujah was the bloodiest battle scene after the American War of Independence. S. -
The invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003.
A year ago, the western province of Anbar, where faruja was located, was the most violent province in Iraq, second only to Baghdad.
According to the quarterly report released by the Pentagon in July, the predominantly Sunni Arab province ranked fifth in the attack on 18 Iraqi provinces, from the beginning of September to the end.
Falluja's security reversal is in sync with local Sunni Arab tribal leaders and the new alliance in the United States. S.
To help force al Qaeda out of the bar.
The Anbar model has been launched with the United States in Iraq. S. -
The Awakening Committee, which supports tribal leaders and community police, has helped lead to a sharp decline in violence.
Falluja's construction efforts are efforts throughout Iraq to repair buildings damaged by bullets and bombs, modernize dilapidated infrastructure and make economic growth possible if stability can be achieved.
Since June, the total amount of reconstruction in Iraq has reached nearly $100 billion. S.
According to US media reports, Iraq and the International FundS.
Inspector General.
The Iraqi government provided at least $36 billion.
But Saddam Hussein's achievements over four years since he stepped down
Robbery and violence that followed.
Critics consider it lackluster.
Time and money were wasted, projects were poorly planned, violence and fear destroyed reconstruction, they said.
Once there is some level of security, faruja may be one of the furnaces for reconstruction progress.
In 2006, when Colonel Feisel Ismail became a senior police officer in Falluja, violence and fear of al-Qaida attacks reduced the number of police officers to 25.
Since then, he said, the number of troops has increased to 2,300.
"Al-Qaida or terrorism used to control all reconstruction efforts in Falluja," Ismael said . " He added that al-Qaida supporters have taken from companies operating in the city
"All Fallujah is safe," Ismail said . ".
Samir Noor al-
Din, an engineer who oversees the construction of the overpass, expects Falluja to become a future hub for the Iraqi highway, connecting roads from Syria and Jordan to Baghdad.
Noor Al said: "Work can be in a hurry where there is stability and safety
Wearing a blue helmet.
His company employs at least 600 local Iraqis in several projects. At the Al-
At the Julan health clinic, which opened this year, the doctor's assistant, Mohammed Mishrif, received blood pressure from elderly patients and checked their medical cards.
"Even people who are sick have enough space," said Mishrif . ".
Although violence has declined, it remains a problem.
Police are often targeted, and the United StatesS.
Officials complained that foreign militants entered Iraq through the western border between Anbar and Syria.