Baghdad, Iraq – American soldiers have again hit the streets of dangerous neighborhoods in western Baghdad that had been handed over to Iraqi forces, trying to keep a lid on sectarian attacks that have raged since the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra.
The U.S. military has refocused its mission to confront death squads that have tortured and killed hundreds, a tacit acknowledgment that Iraqi troops have not been able to control violence between Shiites and Sunnis on their own.
“Iraqi security forces can control large acts, but you can’t be everywhere at once. It’s like serious crime in the U.S. How do you prevent someone in Houston from going into someone’s house?” said Capt. Matt Brown of Eau Claire, Wis.
Fewer attacks are now directed against Americans, soldiers say.
At the same time, the number of Iraqis found slain, apparently in tit-for-tat killings by Shiite and Sunni extremists, has sharply increased in western neighborhoods.
The return of more U.S. forces to the area just over a month after they left has tested relationships with Iraqi soldiers, however.
“To be perfectly honest, they were a little (angry) that we came back into their sector,” said 1st Lt. John Ford of Houston. “It’s getting to a point where they don’t want or need us. It’s unfortunate because we have a lot of assets to bring to the table.”
After an initial few days of tension, life appears to have pressed on as normally as possible in these areas, soldiers say.
