Just Another Checkpoint

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Here is a curious series by Bill Putnam, who has been in Iraq for 21 months.

From Putnam: Every so often the various Iraqi police units in Bayji will shut the city down and search it for wanted insurgents, terrorists or criminals. Every road, highway and even goat trail leading in or out is blocked by Iraqi army infantry or Security Infrastructure Battalions. Then IP and special police units called ERU go in and "systematically" search the city. I couldn't go in to the city to witness this event. I was stuck at a blocking position manned by IA infantry and the Americans from Abu Co., 1st of the 187th Infantry. Traffic was backed up for almost five kilometers in either direction during the search. Trucks of police and IA sped past us while civilians stood by and watched. The sun beat down and people eventually got restless. Despite operations like this being a regular event here, they didn't understand what was going on. I have no idea if anyone was detained. PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_02 PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_03 PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_05 PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_07 PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_11 PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_12 PUTNAM_060405BAYJI_15