[Jim Richards]

This is at least a part of what Rodeo is basing his comments on...

Iraqi PM orders some U.S. military blockades removed
Updated 10/31/2006 7:20 PM ET

By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY
BAGHDAD — U.S. and Iraqi troops dismantled checkpoints around the capital's Sadr City slum, a Shiite militia stronghold, after an order Tuesday by Iraq's prime minister to pull back.
The directive from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was his latest attempt to assert authority over the four-month joint U.S. and Iraqi campaign to stabilize Baghdad.

U.S. and Iraqi troops cordoned off Sadr City following the Oct. 23 disappearance and apparent kidnapping of a U.S. soldier of Iraqi descent. Tuesday, U.S. troops were searching Sadr City neighborhoods and checking vehicles entering and leaving the district when they got the order to remove the checkpoints.

Sadr City is home to 2.5 million Shiites and is the political base of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army.

Al-Maliki's government, nominally a coalition of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, is dominated by a Shiite majority bloc. Al-Sadr's political organization is among the most powerful groups within that bloc.

The Sadr City security cordon had caused hours-long traffic backups. Residents celebrated after the blockade was lifted.

Monday, al-Sadr warned that his forces might retaliate in response to the security ring around Sadr City. "If this siege continues for long, we will resort to action," he said.

Al-Maliki's office said Tuesday that he had ordered the pullback.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said U.S. and Iraqi forces opened "selected" checkpoints and crossing points after a meeting between al-Maliki, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. George Casey, the U.S. commander in Iraq.

The changes were made "to address problems with the flow of traffic and the disruptions to essential daily activity for the citizens of Baghdad," the embassy said.

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