Baghdad, Iraq – Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki complained Tuesday that the long- awaited Baghdad security operation was off to a slow start and warned that insurgents are taking advantage of the delay to kill as many people as possible.
But he also reassured Iraqis that security forces will live up to their responsibilities.
The statement came as new checkpoints were erected and increased vehicle inspections and foot patrols were reported in some neighborhoods – providing the main evidence so far that U.S. and Iraqi forces were gearing up for a major neighborhood-to-neighborhood sweep to quell sectarian violence in the city of 6 million.
Underscoring the dangers as the U.S. augments its force by 21,500 as part of the plan, the U.S. military announced the deaths of two more troops, including a soldier who was killed Tuesday by small-arms fire at a security post southwest of Baghdad and a Marine who died Monday in Anbar province, west of the capital.
At least 51 Iraqis also were killed or found dead around the country, including eight slain by two car bombs in Baghdad.
“The operations will unite us and we will take action soon, God willing, even though I believe we’ve been very late and this delay has started to give a negative message,” al-Maliki said in a meeting with military commanders shown on state TV.
Al-Maliki urged his commanders to step up efforts to complete the preparations for the security plan, saying the delays had allowed insurgents to step up attacks that have killed hundreds in recent weeks.
“Our slogan should be ‘Rest is prohibited, especially for military men, and day and night should merge in working to achieve victory,”‘ he said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that the increase in U.S. forces in Iraq is “not the last chance” to succeed and conceded he was considering what steps to take if the buildup fails.
