Iraq - Iraqi forces enter Sadr's Baghdad bastion

Reuters (excerpt) ^ | May 20, 2008

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

BAGHDAD, May 20 (Reuters) - Iraq's army moved on Tuesday to take control of Baghdad's Sadr City, power base of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, in another step to stamp government authority over areas previously outside its control.

A spokesman for Iraqi security forces in Baghdad, Major-General Qassim Moussawi, said soldiers had launched "Operation Peace" in the sprawling eastern Baghdad slum early on Tuesday.

Iraqi soldiers, who previously controlled only the outer perimeter of Sadr City, advanced deep into the poor suburb, home to 2 million people, without meeting any opposition, he said.

"We are taking control of three-quarters of the city. What is left is the final quarter," he said, referring to an area where Iraqi security forces had previously ventured only rarely.

The Iraqi army's goals were to arrest wanted men, disarm insurgents and provide basic services to residents, he said.

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[DoughtyOne]

It’s about time...

[Fred Nerks]

The army also aimed to set up permanent checkpoints to maintain security, he said. Checkpoints would make it hard for militia members to move around.

Excellent news from Iraq.

[FMBass]

The dems better move the election date up before we win this thing out right!

[submarinerswife]

The dems better move the election date up before we win this thing out right!

If it were already won 2 years ago and all Iraq was now the peaceful country of rainbows and butterfly's, the 'Rats would still declare defeat.

[SueRae]

I didn’t hear any of this on the news...wonder why.

Good for the Iraqi troops, clear out the rats nest

[veracious]

Go Maliki!