Commander: Suspects taken in before Iraqi vote

[unhappycamper]

Commander: Suspects taken in before Iraqi vote
By Chelsea J. Carter - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 3, 2009 12:33:32 EST

BAGHDAD — U.S. and Iraqi forces arrested suspected suicide bombers and others during targeted sweeps in the hours leading up to last weekend’s relatively violence-free provincial elections, the top U.S. commander in Baghdad said Tuesday.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond said operations were conducted in Baghdad during the 72 hours before the elections. Only one violent incident in Iraq’s capital city — a shooting at a checkpoint — was reported on the day of the balloting.

“We were focused on emerging threats. ... We had intelligence to suggest attacks were planned,” Hammond told reporters. He spoke days ahead of when he is to hand over command of about 27,000 U.S. forces in Baghdad province to Maj. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger of the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas.

Hammond is commander of the 4th Infantry Division, which is also based at Fort Hood. He would not say how many people were detained or under what conditions, other than that they were threats to the elections process.

The success of Saturday’s vote has been hailed by President Barack Obama, who said the peaceful outcome was “good news” for U.S. troops — hinting that a substantial number of those troops could return home within a year.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_iraq_arrests_020309/%2e