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Bush Wars Title: 75,000 Forces to Be Deployed in Baghdad with the promised to show "no mercy" to terrorists 75,000 Forces to Be Deployed in Baghdad Under an ambitious plan to bolster security in Baghdad, some 75,000 Iraqi and multinational forces will be deployed in the capital beginning Wednesday, a top Iraqi police official said. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promised to show "no mercy" to terrorists and said the security plan would include a curfew and ban on weapons. Facing unrelenting violence following the death of terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi last week, al-Maliki said the crackdown in Baghdad "will provide security and confront the terrorism and ... enable Iraqis to live in peace in Baghdad." "The raids during this plan will be very tough ... because there will be no mercy toward those who show no mercy to our people," he said in a news release distributed Tuesday. Al-Maliki said the plan will include securing roads into and out of Baghdad, banning people from carrying weapons and implementing a 9 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew, but he did not provide more details. Maj. Gen. Mahdi al-Gharrawi, the commander of public order forces under the Interior Ministry, told The Associated Press that the plan would launched Wednesday at 6 a.m. (10 p.m. Tuesday EDT). He said the 75,000-strong force would be the biggest operation of its kind in Baghdad since the United States handed over sovereignty to Iraq in June 2004. He also warned that insurgents were likely to step up activity ahead of the crackdown and as revenge for the death last week of al-Zarqawi, head of the group Al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Gharrawi said the ground forces could call in air cover if needed. "We are expecting clashes will erupted in the predominantly Sunni areas," he said. "The terrorists will escalate their violence especially during the first week as revenge for the killing of al-Zarqawi." He also said "Baghdad is divided according to geographical area and we know the al-Qaida leaders in each area." Iraqis have complained of random violence and detentions by Iraqi forces, especially the police, which are widely believed to have been infiltrated by so-called sectarian death squads, and the government has indicated it plans to introduce a single uniform to distinguish legitimate forces. Al-Gharrawi said there were plans for such a uniform in the coming days. "There will be a special uniform with special badges to be put on the vehicles as a sign that it belongs to our forces," he said, adding the prime minister would decide when to end the crackdown. Iraqi army Brig. Jalil Khalaf also said the plan would include more checkpoints and raids against suspected insurgent hideouts. "The terrorists cannot face such power," he said. Al-Maliki is seeking to build on the momentum generated by al-Zarqawi's death and the appointment of new security ministers. The prime minister also planned to talk to President Bush later Tuesday via a secure video teleconference. Bush sought to reassure Iraqis on Monday that the United States stands ready to help their new government, but he cautioned that success largely depends on Baghdad's ability to secure the nation and care for its citizens. "The best way to win this war against an insurgency is to stand up a unity government which is capable of defending itself, but also providing tangible benefits to the people," Bush said at the start of a two-day strategy session on Iraq at Camp David. More than 200 raids have been carried out since al-Zarqawi's death on Wednesday, some directly connected to what the U.S. military has described as a "treasure trove" of intelligence gleaned from his safehouse. U.S. troops killed seven insurgents in a raid Monday that also left two children dead not far from the U.S. bombing raid that killed al-Zarqawi. "As far as the Al Qaida network, we're ... cautiously optimistic that we have been very successful thus far in the ongoing operations over the last five days," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said Monday. "We realize this is not going to end the insurgency and that it's really going to take the people of Iraq making that decision." Caldwell also said a "high-value individual" with a $50,000 price on his head was detained. He did not name the suspect, but said he was picked up based on a tip.
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http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1867975.php
mike savage will be thrilled to death with this - said last night maybe now bush will listen to him [DESTROY THE ENEMY BUT GOOD - SHOW NO MERCY]
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