Iraq... What Do You Know About Kalsu Base in Babylon?

Kalsu Base, also known as "FOB Kalsu" or COS Kalsu or Camp Kalsu, is a military facility occupied by U.S. forces in Babylon, Iraq, located 20 miles south of Baghdad. The base was operated by the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division before being officially handed over to Iraqi forces in 2011, during the partial withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, according to the strategic agreement between Iraq and the United States. The base remained under the control of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, and in 2014, after the establishment of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, part of it was allocated to the forces associated with the Popular Mobilization, which uses it as a headquarters for its staff, the Directorate of Armor, and storage facilities for medium and heavy weapons. It is noted that the 17th and 18th brigades, along with part of the training department, are concentrated at the base. Currently, factions from the Popular Mobilization Forces control the base, which houses an operations room for the area and surrounding weapons and ammunition. On December 11, 2011, Iraqi forces in Babylon received Kalsu Base after eight years of occupancy by U.S. forces, and it was renamed the Al-Mahawil Site Command. The handover ceremony took place in a closed hall at the base, where the American flag was lowered, and the Iraqi flag was raised. Colonel Hayes, representing the American side, stated that Iraqi forces were ready to manage the security file independently of U.S. forces. Hussein al-Asadi, representing the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces during the handover, indicated that Kalsu Base was the second base after the 500th to be handed over to the Iraqi side, leaving three bases remaining in Nasiriyah, Diwaniyah, and Basra. For his part, Major General Qais Khalaf, commander of the eighth division, pointed out that the handover of Kalsu Base to the Iraqi army marks the end of the American presence in Babylon, and committees are working to receive the Echo Base in Diwaniyah, which will subsequently make the central Euphrates region completely free of any American military bases.