Sectarian fears stirred in sweep of city
BAQUBAH, Iraq -- After two days of clawing their way toward insurgent strongholds in western Baqubah, US troops yesterday began one of the most delicate phases of the operation: reintroducing the city's residents to their own army.
For the first time since the assault began, Iraqi soldiers joined the operation in significant numbers. What complicated the task was that many of the Sunni residents had little trust for the Shi'ite-dominated army, a situation that became clear during Company A's sweep through the northwestern part of the city.
The Sunnis have bad recent experiences with the Iraqi Army. The commander of Iraq's Fifth Division, a Shi'ite, was replaced by the government this year after US officers accused him of pursuing an overtly sectarian agenda and harassing Sunnis.
In the face of US pressure, the government rearranged its military command in Diyala Province.
But some residents still have unhappy memories of Iraqi soldiers, who they say ransacked their homes when conducting searches and were generally abusive. Feelings are raw.
Many residents say they feel as if they have been caught between fighters from Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, Shi'ite militias, and an Iraqi security force they believe looks at them as little more than insurgents' allies.
"They used bad words against people," said a young man in the Mufrek neighborhood, referring to the Iraqi Army.
Still, the Iraqis' role is essential. The nearly 500 Iraqi soldiers who hit the streets yesterday are a fraction of the 2,500 US soldiers who are involved in the Baqubah operation, but they nonetheless add to a force that is scouring homes and streets for insurgents, arms caches, and the seemingly ever-present buried bombs.
More important, the Iraqi forces represent a critical element of the long-term strategy to maintain control of the city.
When the Americans eventually pull back from Baqubah, there must be some kind of Iraqi force in place to prevent the insurgents from filtering back. The Americans have dominated the assault, but it is the Iraqi security force that must consolidate the gains.
That mission has proved to be a daunting one for the Iraqis in Baghdad, where the policy of "clear, hold, build" has faltered in the past.
Captain Kevin A. Salge, the commander of Company A for the First Battalion, 22d Infantry Regiment, led his soldiers yesterday on a sweep for insurgent fighters in the northwest section of the city. The Iraqi company that joined the operation essentially doubled the number of troops involved.
