The extent to which the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict has displaced other news is a story in itself, but don’t miss the pivotal stage things are at in the Iraqi capital right now.

Last Friday, Omar at Iraq the Model posted this in relation to the growing power of Iran-inpired Shiite militias (in particular al-Sadr, who had just organized a huge pro-Hezbollah rally) and what he perceived as the reluctance of the U.S. to take that challenge on:

Some Iraqis including their elected prime minister and elected president said ‘thank you America’ while others said death to America and Iran is strongly supporting those who wish death to America, so what are you in America going to do while we still have the chance, still have the determined leadership and while there’s still hope?

Will you stand with those who believe you came to help them, or will you let Iran remain free to push Iraq to doom?

I wouldn’t mean to imply it’s a reaction to Omar’s post, but today a line of sorts was crossed by the U.S. forces in Baghdad.

U.S. and Iraqi forces fought Shi’ite militiamen in Baghdad during a raid on a suspected death squad on Monday in the latest bid to stem the sectarian violence that U.S. military leaders say could lead to civil war.

At least 28 people were killed and 64 injured in attacks around the country, including in Samarra, north of Baghdad, where a suicide bomber killed nine people and wounded 10 outside a police station.

In Baghdad, a police source said two people were killed and 18 wounded during two hours of fighting in Sadr City, a stronghold of radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose supporters are part of the ruling Shi’ite coalition.

The U.S. military said it backed up Iraqi forces in a raid to detain “individuals involved in punishment and torture cell activities”.

The United States has boosted its troop levels in Baghdad to prevent further escalation of sectarian violence, which is claiming around 100 lives every day and sapping confidence in Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government.

It has vowed to confront the armed militias blamed for fanning tensions, but must tread carefully as some of these groups have close ties to parties in the government.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday that the battle for Baghdad was key to restoring security in Iraq.

…

General George Casey, the top U.S. officer in Iraq, told a news conference on Monday that U.S. and Iraqi troops would drive militants and death squads from the capital and improve security by Ramadan, which falls in late September this year.

In the wake of al-Zarqawi’s death, it’s become clear that the threat of civil war is the greatest danger to Iraq’s future. Today we learned that the U.S. is not sitting back, wringing hands, and just hoping it doesn’t happen. These will be crucial weeks.

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