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| US urged to accelerate Iraq plan | US urged to accelerate Iraq plan |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Iraq's Sunni vice-president has urged Washington to speed up the deployment of extra US troops to stop what he called "round the clock" killing. | Iraq's Sunni vice-president has urged Washington to speed up the deployment of extra US troops to stop what he called "round the clock" killing. |
| Tariq Hashimi told the BBC that previous security drives had failed because they had too few combat troops. | Tariq Hashimi told the BBC that previous security drives had failed because they had too few combat troops. |
| Mr Hashimi, one of two vice-presidents, spoke after a bloody weekend that saw 135 people die in a Baghdad bombing. | |
| US and Iraqi forces are preparing for a new joint offensive aimed at restoring security in the Iraqi capital. | |
| A command centre overseeing their efforts was due to start operations on Monday, but the actual timeline for implementing the security plan is not yet clear. | A command centre overseeing their efforts was due to start operations on Monday, but the actual timeline for implementing the security plan is not yet clear. |
| Mr Hashimi, Iraq's most senior Sunni politician, said if promised troops did not materialise soon, the situation could deteriorate even further. | Mr Hashimi, Iraq's most senior Sunni politician, said if promised troops did not materialise soon, the situation could deteriorate even further. |
| It will be a steadily increasing amount of pressure brought to bear on the insurgents and the militias and the criminals Col Chip LewisUS officer | It will be a steadily increasing amount of pressure brought to bear on the insurgents and the militias and the criminals Col Chip LewisUS officer |
| He was also scathing about the Iraqi government's own response to the violence, saying it was slow and unprofessional, while he blamed the increase in attacks on Iran, arguing that the recent bombings were so large a government had to be involved. | He was also scathing about the Iraqi government's own response to the violence, saying it was slow and unprofessional, while he blamed the increase in attacks on Iran, arguing that the recent bombings were so large a government had to be involved. |
| Senate debate | Senate debate |
| Despite Mr Hashimi's call for a speedy deployment, it is still likely to be several months before the US and Iraqi governments have the extra troops in place, reports the BBC's Andrew North from Baghdad. | Despite Mr Hashimi's call for a speedy deployment, it is still likely to be several months before the US and Iraqi governments have the extra troops in place, reports the BBC's Andrew North from Baghdad. |
| US President George W Bush announced last month that he planned to send an extra 21,500 troops to Iraq - most of them earmarked for the Baghdad operation. | US President George W Bush announced last month that he planned to send an extra 21,500 troops to Iraq - most of them earmarked for the Baghdad operation. |
| But Mr Bush's new Iraq strategy is set to provoke further heated debate in the US later on Monday, with senators beginning discussion of a non-binding resolution that criticises the proposal to deploy extra American forces to the country. | But Mr Bush's new Iraq strategy is set to provoke further heated debate in the US later on Monday, with senators beginning discussion of a non-binding resolution that criticises the proposal to deploy extra American forces to the country. |
| President Bush is also due to present budget proposals to the Democratic-led Congress that will include requests for an extra $100bn for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of 2007 and more than $145bn for the 2008 fiscal year. | President Bush is also due to present budget proposals to the Democratic-led Congress that will include requests for an extra $100bn for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of 2007 and more than $145bn for the 2008 fiscal year. |
| Baghdad sweep | Baghdad sweep |
| The new command centre for the Baghdad operations is being headed by an Iraqi officer, Gen Abboud Gambar, a Shia who fought US forces in the 1991 Gulf War. | The new command centre for the Baghdad operations is being headed by an Iraqi officer, Gen Abboud Gambar, a Shia who fought US forces in the 1991 Gulf War. |
| He was due to take charge on Monday, with the much-heralded joint security drive beginning "soon thereafter", US military officials said. | He was due to take charge on Monday, with the much-heralded joint security drive beginning "soon thereafter", US military officials said. |
| Saturday's bombing obliterated a market packed with shoppers | Saturday's bombing obliterated a market packed with shoppers |
| The offensive will involve US and Iraqi forces, thousands of whom are already on the ground, sweeping Baghdad neighbourhoods for militants and illegally held weapons, the officials said. | The offensive will involve US and Iraqi forces, thousands of whom are already on the ground, sweeping Baghdad neighbourhoods for militants and illegally held weapons, the officials said. |
| The Iraqi government says it will announce guidelines for the new plan in the coming days. | The Iraqi government says it will announce guidelines for the new plan in the coming days. |
| It will be the third attempt at pacifying the capital since Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki took power in May. | It will be the third attempt at pacifying the capital since Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki took power in May. |
| However, violence has continued to escalate in Baghdad. Saturday's attack in the Sadriya district of Baghdad was the deadliest single bombing since the US-led invasion of 2003. | However, violence has continued to escalate in Baghdad. Saturday's attack in the Sadriya district of Baghdad was the deadliest single bombing since the US-led invasion of 2003. |
| On Monday, 10 people were killed and at least 60 injured in a truck bomb attack on a petrol station in south-west Baghdad, while eight others died when a car bomb explosion ripped through a motor repair workshop. | |
| The US military also said two US soldiers had died in separate incidents on Sunday. | |
| An interior ministry official told Associated Press news agency that about 1,000 Iraqi civilians, security personnel and militants had died in the past week alone. | |
| 'Rolling surge' | 'Rolling surge' |
| Col Doug Heckman, an adviser to the Iraqi army, said the new operation would be "a multiple order magnitude of difference" compared with previous offensives. | Col Doug Heckman, an adviser to the Iraqi army, said the new operation would be "a multiple order magnitude of difference" compared with previous offensives. |
| "It's going to be much more than this city has ever seen and it's going to be a rolling surge," he added. | "It's going to be much more than this city has ever seen and it's going to be a rolling surge," he added. |
| Another US officer, Col Chip Lewis told reporters: "It will be a steadily increasing amount of pressure brought to bear on the insurgents and the militias and the criminals." | Another US officer, Col Chip Lewis told reporters: "It will be a steadily increasing amount of pressure brought to bear on the insurgents and the militias and the criminals." |
| It is unclear how many US and Iraqi soldiers will take part in the offensive. | It is unclear how many US and Iraqi soldiers will take part in the offensive. |
| Col Heckman said he expected to see "concrete results" in the next six months. | Col Heckman said he expected to see "concrete results" in the next six months. |