The U.S. military officially signed over Camp Fallujah to the Iraqi government Tuesday, marking the end of U.S. control at a base that once housed nearly 8,000 servicemembers. Fallujah was long a symbol of the worst in Anbar province, which some had called "lost" to the insurgents midway through the war. Since then, Sunni tribes have turned against al-Qaida in Iraq and joined with U.S. troops, bringing a measure of stability to the region that had previously been unthinkable.
Maj. Gen. Martin W. Post, deputy commander of Multi-National Force-West, officially signed over the camp to the Iraqis. It is the latest base to be returned to the Iraqis, including those in Qaim, Habbaniyah, the Haditha Dam, Ramadi and several small combat outposts.
Before handing over Camp Fallujah, the U.S. military also removed some 32,000 concrete and dirt barriers, 95,000 metric tons of scrap metal and 900 containerized housing units, officials said.