US troops search in Baghdad's Sadr City(ahead of Iraqi army deployment)

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

US troops search in Baghdad's Sadr City
1 hour ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) — US troops went from house to house on Wednesday in Baghdad's Shiite stronghold looking for bombs and arms ahead of an Iraqi army deployment in line with a new truce, witnesses and officials said.

Motorcycles and trucks were also subjected to searches by sniffer dogs before being allowed into the impoverished east Baghdad district of Sadr City, where anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has strong support.

Witnesses saw US tanks aiming their heavy weapons towards Sector Nine of Sadr City while the Americans carried out a tedious search procedure, questioning residents with the help of translators.

The operations were concentrated in the immediate neighbourhood of a wall the Americans have been building that cuts off one-third of Sadr City from the rest of the district.

AFP correspondents said that even the small arms traditionally owned by Iraqis were being confiscated.



Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gcMr2rHMGegJ-cnxZMbnL7oXK_pg