Iraqi police accused of lax security

BAGHDAD — A day after three car bombs ravaged the Baghdad slum of Sadr City, one Iraqi police sergeant manning a checkpoint here complained of a no-win situation.
"If we search every car, we cause a traffic jam and people complain," said Abu Noor. "If we don't search, there's an explosion."

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Iraq's security forces, who earned lavish praise as violence here fell dramatically during the past 18 months, are now back under pressure following one of the country's deadliest weeks this year. In Sadr City, residents blamed the army and police for becoming complacent during the period of relative calm, allowing insurgents to set off a wave of bombs that have killed nearly 200 people nationwide.

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"They are not doing their duty," said Muhammad Hassan, 28, who manages his family's men's clothing store in Sadr City. "They are kind of relaxed and lazy, not tense like they were before."

Hamid al-Mualla, an Iraqi member of parliament, agreed. "Security forces start to feel too comfortable and don't do their jobs," he said. "They keep believing security has improved."

Even taking into account recent attacks, violence in Iraq is still low compared to the worst years of the war. Violent incidents, which stayed above 800 a month for most of 2006 and 2007, haven't reached 200 any month this year, according to statistics cited in a report Thursday by military analyst Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank in Washington.

"People's psychology had changed," said Sadr City pharmacist Karim Jabr, 50. "We thought it was the end of violence."

U.S. military commanders have warned that progress in Iraq is fragile, but maintained so far that the recent violence does not change their plans to pull out of Iraqi cities by June 30 and leave Iraq entirely in 2011. It's not really their call, anyway — the terms of withdrawal were agreed upon in December in a landmark deal with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who would have to agree to any extension of the U.S. presence.

Al-Maliki has lauded the Iraqi army's performance in recent months and said it is prepared to handle Iraq's security, although U.S. troops will continue to play a prominent role as advisers.

On Monday, Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari confirmed that the agreed-upon deadlines for a U.S. withdrawal were still in place.

Still, the recent bombings have highlighted the wide array of Iraqis who are still seeking to foment unrest, among them al-Qaeda operatives; Sunni insurgents loyal to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party; Shiite extremists, and various political factions battling for advantage in advance of parliamentary elections expected late this year.

Cordesman warns that "the United States still needs to focus at least as much on Iraqi stability and security as leaving Iraq."

On Thursday, activity close to the Sadr City market that was bombed seemed relatively normal. Many people traveled by foot to avoid delays at checkpoints, carrying plastic sacks of groceries with them. A falafel stand was doing brisk business. Vendors had piled oranges, bananas and other fruits high on their carts.

Sadr City is in some ways a symbol of the progress Iraq has made. Just last year, the neighborhood home to hundreds of thousands of impoverished Shiite Muslims was under the control of militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Now, the Iraqi army is in control.

Jabr, 50, thinks blaming the Iraqi police is unfair. "The security forces are doing a good job," he said. He blamed the violence on "people who don't want to see stability throughout the country."

Muhammad Hassan, another resident, said the 10- and 15-minute delays at army checkpoints are a small price to pay for security. "There are always bad people watching and waiting," he said.

"Overconfidence is the main enemy," said Sunni politician Abid Thyab al-Ajeeli, minister of higher education. "Once you become overconfident, the terrorists can attack." link...