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Article: In Sadr City, U.S. Mission Shifts From Urban Warfare to Reconstruction
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 1, 2008
- Author:
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A little over two weeks ago, U.S. troops in Sadr City were on the
front lines of fierce, unrelenting urban warfare. But virtually
overnight, their main mission has become one of rebuilding portions
of the vast, tattered Shiite district and building trust in
neighborhoods where many residents despise Americans.
Reaching that point took a fragile cease-fire agreement that
called for a limited U.S. role in military operations in Sadr City,
a stronghold of militias loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-
Sadr; thousands of Iraqi soldiers; and wads of cash.
"If we get Sadr City right and create irreversible momentum,
there's no turning back," Brig. Gen. Mike Milano, deputy commander