Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sharp drop in execution syle killings
Security
(AP) Execution-style killings have fallen sharply in Baghdad since the security crackdown began this month, the No. 2 U.S. commander said Tuesday. Figures compiled by The Associated Press from police reports show that the number of bullet-riddled bodies found in the streets this month totaled 628 as of Monday night. That was down from the 1,079 in January and 1,379 in December.
Such killings have generally been attributed to sectarian death squads - including Shiite militiamen, Sunni insurgents or rogue elements within the mostly Shiite army and police. The security crackdown officially began Feb. 14, although some U.S. and Iraqi units had been stepping up patrols and searches since earlier in the month.
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the operational commander for U.S. forces in Iraq, suggested the drop could be due to more security forces on the streets but added it may be only temporary. "We have had short periods of time before when there's been some success and then it changes," he said. Many of the killings were believed to be the work of the Mahdi Army, led by the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The cleric is a political ally of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who pressured him to pull his fighters off the streets to avoid a confrontation with the Americans.
Such killings have generally been attributed to sectarian death squads - including Shiite militiamen, Sunni insurgents or rogue elements within the mostly Shiite army and police. The security crackdown officially began Feb. 14, although some U.S. and Iraqi units had been stepping up patrols and searches since earlier in the month.
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the operational commander for U.S. forces in Iraq, suggested the drop could be due to more security forces on the streets but added it may be only temporary. "We have had short periods of time before when there's been some success and then it changes," he said. Many of the killings were believed to be the work of the Mahdi Army, led by the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The cleric is a political ally of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who pressured him to pull his fighters off the streets to avoid a confrontation with the Americans.
Odierno, the operational commander for U.S. forces in Iraq, suggested the drop could be due to more security forces on the streets but added it may be only temporary. Although sectarian assassinations are down, the capital has been hit by a series of deadly bombings that have killed scores of people. Most target Shiite civilians and appear to be part of the sectarian violence. Many Shiites have complained that the Mahdi Army's absence has left them vulnerable to such attacks by Sunni extremists.
Labels: Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, Mahdi Army, sectarian assassinations
