 Iraq's prime minister set in motion the biggest security crackdown in Baghdad since the U.S.-led invasion, with 75,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops to deploy across the strife-prone capital starting Wednesday. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also announced plans for an extended curfew and a weapons ban, saying he would show "no mercy" to terrorists six days after al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike northeast of Baghdad. The government did not say how long the crackdown would last.
| I'd rather hear that the bad guyz were dead, rather than that they're gonna be dead. I'm gonna be slender, too. |
The announcement came as radical anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr planned a demonstration Wednesday in Baghdad to protest President George W. Bush's surprise visit to the capital.
| He's just jealous of G.W.'s dental work... |
Bush's visit Tuesday was seen by many as a boost for al-Maliki, who is seeking to build momentum after al-Zarqawi's death and the appointment of defense and interior ministers following weeks of political stalemate. Al-Zarqawi's successor, identified by the nom de guerre Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, vowed to defeat "crusaders and Shiites" in Iraq and said "holy warriors" in the country were stronger than ever, according to a Web statement posted Tuesday - the first from the new leader.
Security officials said 75,000 Iraqi and multinational forces would be deployed throughout Baghdad on Wednesday, securing roads in and out of the city, establishing more checkpoints, launching raids against insurgent hideouts and calling in airstrikes if necessary. "Baghdad is divided according to geographical area, and we know the al-Qaida leaders in each area," said Maj. Gen. Mahdi al-Gharrawi, the commander of public order forces under the Interior Ministry. |