Plan for More U.S. Soldiers Greeted With Skepticism

From the Los Angeles Times

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ

Plan for More U.S. Soldiers Greeted With Skepticism
By Julian E. Barnes and Suhail Ahmad
Times Staff Writers

July 23, 2006

BAGHDAD — Iraqis expressed doubt Saturday that a plan to increase the number of U.S. troops in the capital would reduce the violence that has warped daily life here, rendering stories of killings and kidnappings unremarkable.

Americans have staked victory in Iraq on the idea that if they can make residents feel safe, people will turn their backs on insurgent groups or local militias. But so far, every effort to make life more secure in Baghdad has failed. Lawlessness has spread to once-safe neighborhoods, and nearly the entire city is immersed in sectarian conflict.

Sunni and Shiite Muslim residents voiced skepticism Saturday that American troops could stop the bloodshed. U.S. forces have lost the confidence of many here, and any additional troops would face a challenge in rebuilding the trust of the population.

"People don't like the Americans anymore," said Nawar Abbas, a 24-year-old computer engineer and a Sunni. "They have a bad image of them, and I don't think it will change."

In fact, Abbas and others see the Americans as magnets for attacks, rather than protectors.

"I don't think that more American troops can achieve stability and security," Abbas said. "The more presence on the street, the more attacks they will get."

Some Shiites share that sentiment.

"More Americans in the street means more terrorist attacks, and that will lead to more civilian deaths," said Buthayna Fadhil, a 50-year-old homemaker and a Shiite. "We don't want more soldiers."

Improving the security of Baghdad has become the top priority of the military and the new Iraqi government.

A much-touted plan to beef up security, largely using Iraqi army and police forces, has failed to stop the violence. In fact, the security situation has worsened.

On Saturday, seven Shiite construction workers were gunned down in a Sunni neighborhood in western Baghdad. Hospital officials reported that 16 other people were found slain in Baghdad and surrounding areas and at least five more were killed by mortar attacks.

A roadside bomb, one of at least two that exploded in Baghdad, killed a U.S. soldier. A second soldier was killed by small-arms fire south of Baghdad on Saturday evening.

The new proposal under consideration by the White House, the Iraqi prime minister and the U.S. military would relocate some American forces from other cities to Baghdad. Although the U.S. is considering retaking control of some areas that have been handed over to Iraqi forces, the primary focus of the additional troops will probably be cracking down on Shiite militias that have been held responsible for the kidnapping and killing of Sunnis.

The problem for the Americans is that some militias function like armed neighborhood watches. And some residents say what little security they do have is provided by the gunmen.

"I would not feel safer if more American troops come here," said a Shiite owner of a dairy shop in the Karada neighborhood. "The people of Karada are able to protect their neighborhood by themselves, so there is no need for American troops to come here and protect us."

The owner, like most people in the neighborhood, was afraid to give his name.

Kamal Saadi, a member of the Islamic Dawa Party, said he believed that an increase in the number of American troops might damp some of the sectarian violence. Still, Saadi said the problem with such a move was that people are afraid of U.S. troops after a string of reported deadly attacks against civilians, including one case that resulted in rape and murder charges against a group of American soldiers.

"American soldiers have made many mistakes," Saadi said. "This has created a barrier between Iraqi officials and American military members. There is no longer any trust."

On Saturday, top Iraqi leaders held the first meeting of a national reconciliation committee in an effort to resolve the country's sectarian and ethnic differences without direct American help.

Although some Iraqis have grown frustrated with the government's inability to stem the violence, some still hold out hope for a political solution.

"Iraq's problems cannot be solved by the military," said Mohammed abu Mustafa, a 45-year-old Sunni who owns an electronics shop. "They can only be solved by politicians. Three years of military operations have solved none of our problems."

Times staff writer Zainab Hussein contributed to this report.