U.S. Forces Detain 60 at Iraq FuneralBy VIJAY JOSHI , 08.12.2006, 05:23 AM
U.S. forces raided a funeral gathering and detained 60 men suspected
of links with an al-Qaida cell blamed for a spate of car bomb attacks
in Baghdad, the U.S. command said Saturday.
Despite the rise in Iraq's sectarian violence, Marine Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he would not rule out U.S.
troop reductions this year. Pace, who arrived in Baghdad on Saturday,
said he would consult with top commanders on the outlook for a
turnaround in the violence and the need for U.S. troops.
The arrests in Baghdad were the first major roundup of suspected
insurgents since U.S. reinforcements started streaming into the capital
last week as part of a new crackdown on violence.
A statement by the U.S. military said the arrests were made Friday
in Arab Jabour, a southern neighborhood of Baghdad and a stronghold
of Sunni insurgents.
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