More US troops to Baghdad do little to stop violence. Who'd have thought?

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August 15, 2006

More US patrols fail to stop bombings

AS US forces conducted a new security sweep in western Baghdad, five apparently co-ordinated bombings in a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood on the city's south side killed at least 57 people and wounded 148.

The attacks on Sunday, which killed civilians in a largely residential area, were the deadliest in Baghdad since the US military dispatched new forces to the capital more than a week ago to quell a surge in killings and kidnappings by sectarian militias and criminal gangs.

Lieutenant Mohammed Alwan said the police force, which he estimated had increased to more than 2000, had since shrunk to 100. He said insurgents had killed dozens of policemen in their homes and attacked relatives. A Falluja police major who spoke on condition of anonymity said at least 1400 policemen had left their jobs since Friday.

"During the last three months more than 100 policemen were killed here," including a number of senior officers, the major said.

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1. 1400 policemen quit since Friday??

Sounds a whole lot like anarchy.

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2. uprising