Iraq crackdown in Amarah begins smoothly

They met little resistance as senior aides to Sadr said his Mahdi Army militia had pledged to cooperate with the operation to avoid putting civilians in the southern city at risk.

A similar government crackdown in March that began in the southern port city of Basra ignited nearly seven weeks of fighting between the Iraqi military and the Mahdi Army, most of it in Baghdad. Hundreds died in the violence, which formally ended May 10 with an agreement for Iraqi security forces to police the Sadr City district, the cleric's main stronghold in the capital.

Security officials and Sadr supporters said Thursday's operation in Amarah resulted in the arrests of Mayor Rafia Abdul-Jabbar, who also serves as deputy governor of Maysan province, and provincial council member Ali Hassan. Officials did not say why the two were arrested.

At least 700 policemen suspected of criminal activities also were detained and under investigation, said Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf. More arrests were expected, Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed Askari said.

Khalaf said he expected the campaign to move outside Amarah, capital of Maysan, even into the region's marshes, long a hide-out for criminals and smugglers.

The crackdown was announced over the weekend and Iraqi security forces had set a Wednesday deadline for residents to hand in illegal weapons and for wanted individuals to turn themselves in. Amnesty had been offered to those who had not committed serious crimes.

Members of the Sadr movement traveled to Amarah to monitor the sweep, as all sides sought to avoid a repeat of the Basra operation.

"Muqtada Sadr doesn't want to have any incidents that would lead to casualties among civilians, so he is calling for self-restraint and calming down," said Haidar Turfi, a senior Sadr official in the shrine city of Najaf.

The streets of Amarah were mostly quiet as people went about their business. U.S. warplanes flew overhead. Military vehicles drove down the main boulevard, Dijilah Street, playing patriotic songs. People expressed relief that their city was not riven by fighting.