US and Iraqi government troops begin lockdown of Baghdad (WSWS)

[undeterred]

By James Cogan
2 June 2005

Operation Lightning—the massive deployment of 50,000 US and Iraqi government troops and police into the streets of Baghdad—began on Sunday and is unfolding amid a virtual media blackout and a complete absence of critical commentary. What is taking place amounts to the re-invasion of Iraq’s capital aimed at terrorising the population and cracking down on resistance groups that operate freely across large sections of the city.

There is no doubt that the operation was unveiled by the Iraqi government of Ibrahim al-Jaafari on the direct orders of Washington. For two days in May, Jaafari was involved in meetings with the top US commander in Iraq, General George Casey, who reportedly lectured him on the need to “respond with strong and decisive action” to the wave of bombings and killings taking place across Iraq. The meetings with Casey were followed by a visit to Iraq by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on May 15, where further demands were placed on Jaafari’s newly-installed administration.

The crackdown is being justified with references to the 434 Iraqi civilians who were killed and the 775 wounded in May, many in politically reactionary bombings that made no attempt to distinguish between occupation targets and ordinary people. The main Iraqi resistance groups condemn such bombings, which are generally blamed on groups connected with Al Qaeda. The concern of the White House and the Pentagon, however, is the growing number of casualties that guerilla attacks are inflicting on the occupation forces. The US military lost 78 dead and more than 500 wounded in May—the largest number since January. The Iraqi security forces also suffered heavy losses. At least 151 Iraqi police were killed and 325 wounded—more than double the number in April. At least 85 Iraqi soldiers were killed and 79 wounded.

The aim of Operation Lightning is to try and curb the insurgency by cutting it off from its support base among the broader population. The 50,000 troops in the capital will throw up 675 permanent checkpoints at all entrances to the city and at key intersections throughout the suburbs. The checkpoints will be manned by soldiers of the US-created Iraqi Army. As they go up, each of 22 sectors the city has been divided into will be subjected to sweeps and house searches by Iraqi and US forces. “Riverbend”, an Iraqi woman in Baghdad, wrote in her blog on May 29: “It’s difficult enough right now getting around Baghdad, more checkpoints are going to make things trickier. The plan includes 40,000 Iraqi security forces and that is making people a little bit uneasy. Iraqi National Guard are not pleasant or upstanding citizens—to have thousands of them scattered about Baghdad stopping cars and possibly harassing civilians is worrying. We’re also very worried about the possibility of raids on homes.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jun2005/iraq-j02.shtml

[liberal N proud]

1. When there is a chance you will be shooting women and children

you don't want any criticism.

[wtmusic]

2. Thousands more must die before they get it through their thick skulls

that the war is unwinnable.

US out of Iraq NOW.

[Rey Pygsterio]

3. This will break your heart

Excerpt from a letter to Arkansas Times about the May 24 car-bomb killing of soldier Spc. Dustin Fisher, 22, in Iraq.


Today … two uniformed soldiers showed up at my youngest daughter’s school, Darby Junior High here in Fort Smith. They were looking for Darby’s favorite teacher, Mr. Waldo Fisher … that one good teacher that gives 110 percent … that one good teacher the kids will remember all their lives. They came to inform Mr. Fisher that his son had been killed in Iraq yesterday.

With tears streaming down his face, the first thing Mr. Fisher did was take down his son’s service star he had posted in the window of his classroom. He then slammed the door to be alone. School was over for the day as the news spread and most of the kids dissolved into tears.

They knew that tall, white-haired Waldo Fisher was a Vietnam veteran himself. Most of them knew he personally thought that Bush was wrong, but was proud his son was serving his country, as he had done at the same age. Another war that produced nothing good, and killed 58,151 U.S. soldiers.

The kids are betting that Mr. Fisher will be at the National Cemetery tomorrow morning to lead the setting up of hundreds of little U.S. flags, as he has done every Memorial Day for the last 15 years. From this man, they have learned what it really means to love this country, even before today. Unlike the cowards in D.C., from this man many kids have learned what it means to be a man. My whole family and many others will be there in the morning to help with the flags and for that I’m very proud.

Arkansas Times


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