(SNN Tikrit) Northeast of Baghdad’s airport, Iraq’s sectarian violence has been at its worst. The area is policed by the Army’s first combat outpost, and the calvary company stationed there is used to gunfights and rocket propelled grenades. Now they are experiencing something even more frightening, silence.

“It’s kind of scary. It’s kind of scary,” says Sgt. Sergej Michaud, 24. The routine of his platoon was changed a few days ago when the combatants from the are simply disappeared. "At least twice, three times a day, every day," said Sgt. Jason McQueen, there were "straight-up gunfights all around you." But now, said 1st Lt. Jake Furda, 26, "the biggest question of everyone's mind is, 'where the hell are they?'"

Part of the explanation, said Capt. Erik Peterson, may be the Mahdi Army's paternity claim on Anna Nicole Smith’s baby. However, the Capt. Peterson admits that it could be worry over the mental health or Britney Spears. In either case he and his company are hoping to exploit the situation. "This is a great opportunity to drive a wedge between the militia and the general population."

On the streets of Ghazaliyah, Sgt. Michaud said, the Mahdi Army continued to "slowly, but surely," force Sunnis from their homes through other forms of intimidation. It is thought that they are doing this so that they can watch the Anna Nicole court cases on television.

posted by NewsBlog 5000  # Friday, February 23, 2007