Getting Medieval
By Iraqi security forces will dig trenches around Baghdad and set up checkpoints along all roads leading into the city to reduce some of the violence plaguing the capital, the Interior Ministry said Friday.
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”Trenches will be dug around Baghdad in the coming weeks when the third part of the Baghdad security plan is implemented,” Khalaf said. Metropolitan Baghdad has a circumference of about 60 miles.
The security plan, known as Operation Together Forward, began June 15 and is being implemented in three phases. The first phase included setting up random checkpoints around the city, phase two began Aug. 7 and focused on the most violence-prone areas of Baghdad — mostly the Sunni Arab southern districts. Phase three reportedly includes cordoning off and searching other parts of Baghdad, including predominantly Shiite areas.
Khalaf said that except for the trenches, vehicle and pedestrian traffic would be restricted to just 28 entry points with manned checkpoints.
”We will leave only 28 inlets to Baghdad while all other inlets will be blocked. Supports will be added to the trenches to hinder the movements of people and vehicles. The trenches will be under our watch,” he said.
It hardly needs to be mentioned that, under circumstances like this, expectation that social or economic life can proceed at anything approaching normality or productivity is absurd.