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Crackdown meets little resistance

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 15, 2007

Thousands of U.S. troops swept house to house through mostly Shiite areas virtually unopposed Wednesday in the opening phase of the long-awaited Baghdad security crackdown. Elsewhere in Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers and police set up new checkpoints across the city of 6-million people, snarling traffic. The U.S. military said 14 suspects were detained and four weapons caches discovered during the day's operation - seemingly a low tally. But U.S. officials say they are more concerned about establishing a long-term presence in the areas so that the public will gain confidence in security forces. However, Iraq's Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, warned that advance publicity on the security operation had given Shiite militias time to flee the city for bases elsewhere.

Six U.S. soldiers killed separately

Four U.S. soldiers were killed and two others were wounded Wednesday during fighting northeast of Baghdad, the military said. Two other U.S. deaths were reported elsewhere. The Task Force Lightning soldiers were attacked during combat operations in Diyala province, where U.S. and Iraqi forces have been battling insurgents for months. Separately, another U.S. soldier died Wednesday a day after coming under small-arms fire from insurgents north of Baghdad, the military said. On Tuesday, a Task Force Lightning soldier died in a noncombat-related incident that is under investigation, the military said in a separate statement. The soldiers' names were not released pending notification of relatives. At least 3,132 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

U.S. reversal: Copter shot down

A Sea Knight helicopter that crashed last week northwest of Baghdad was shot down, the U.S. military said Wednesday, reversing earlier statements that the crash appeared to be due to mechanical failure. The Marine CH-46 troop transport went down Feb. 7, killing all seven people on board, and an al-Qaida-linked Sunni group claimed responsibility. The military announced Wednesday that an investigation showed the crash was "the result of antiaircraft munitions." At least seven U.S. helicopters have crashed or been forced down under hostile fire since Jan. 20. In the wake of the recent crashes, U.S. officials have said they were reviewing flight operations and tactics.

Also

VIOLENCE: At least 38 Iraqis were killed or found dead nationwide, including at least eight police officers killed by a suicide car bomb in Ramadi. Five bullet-riddled bodies were found on Baghdad streets, an unusually low number of apparent victims of so-called sectarian death squads.

BRITISH TRIAL: A judge dismissed charges Wednesday against five British soldiers accused of mistreating Iraqi civilian detainees, but said the court-martial would continue against two other service members. Justice Stuart McKinnon said prosecutors lacked the evidence needed to convict the men.

WHERE'S CLERIC?: The mystery over the whereabouts of Muqtada al-Sadr deepened Wednesday with chief U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell saying the Shiite militia leader had fled to Iran, his supporters insisting he was still in Iraq and no sign of the anti-American cleric himself. There are concerns that Sadr's militia could fragment into uncontrollable gangs in his absence.

[Last modified February 15, 2007, 01:36:52]