The beginnings of the new security campaign in Iraq are underway. Iraqi and US forces pushed into the Sunni stronghold in the northeastern Adhamiyah district.
According to an AFP photographer embedded with the US military more than a dozen people were detained overnight and large numbers of weapons seized.
Major Robie Parke of 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team said that the security sweep in the Shaab and Ur areas of Adhamiyah marked the start of the much-vaunted crackdown by US and Iraqi forces against Shiite militias and Sunni insurgents in Baghdad.
"Iraqi and US forces conducted clearing operations in Adhamiyah today, which is the beginning of the new security plan," Parke said late Tuesday.
He said that close to 2,000 US troops were involved in Operation Arrowhead Strike Six, along with the 1st Brigade of the 9th Iraqi Army Division...
Iraq's independent daily Al Mada said Wednesday that the "massive deployment and troop movements on both banks of Tigris yesterday is a clear signal of the actual launch or that the launching of the new plan was near."
Another newspaper, Al Zaman, said that mixed US and Iraqi forces launched raids Tuesday "in Baghdad after surrounding the areas and arrested dozens of people in a step that indicated the launching of the new plan."
One US officer who asked not to be identified said that the operation would set the conditions for a "control and retain" force to move into Shaab and Ur and establish combat outposts in conjunction with Iraqi security forces.
Bill Roggio points out this is just the beginning
The deployment of additional forces and the building infrastructure for the Baghdad piece of the security operation has just begun. Only a few thousand of the 17,500 U.S. soldiers have moved into Baghdad. Iraqi brigades are still moving into position.
Only two of the many planned Combat Outposts have been set up in Baghdad - one in Doura and another in Ghazaliya. Iraqi Army, police and U.S. soldiers will be stationed in the outposts to secure individual neighborhoods. Iraqi Army and police units are just beginning to take up positions around Sadr City. Most of the opening moves have occurred in the North of Baghdad. The U.S. and Iraqis still have plenty of assets to put in place, assets that likely won't be fully in place until March or later.
And he also notes the effect the recent moves have had on the enemy
On a positive note, the death squad activity has dramatically decreased in Baghdad. The near daily reports of bodies being found bound, mutilated and murdered have significantly decreased. A major reason for this is Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his fighters to go to ground and not confront U.S. and Iraqi forces. His senior militia leaders are thought to have fled Baghdad.
On a negative note, al-Qaeda has stepped up its car and suicide bombing campaign, attacking soft targets in the city such as markets, pet shops, and mosques, with deadly results. While Al-Qaeda is said to have pulled out of Baghdad, an American intelligence official informs us al-Qaeda has largely withdrawn to Diyala province, and is ferrying in suicide bombers into the city. Al-Qaeda is stepping up its bombing campaign in an effort to both discredit the security operations and incite sectarian attacks. It is vital the currier network of bombers and the bombmaking cells be dismantled to reduce the effectiveness of al-Qaeda's operations in the capital. Further concurrent operations must also be conducted in Diyala to disrupt al-Qaeda's ability to maintain an intensive bombing campaign.
I wonder if PETA will send a contingent to Baghdad protesting al Qaida's targeting of petshops...