Hazards of chaos

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, near Baghdad, Iraq -- If the experience of Lt. Col. Alan King and the reservists in the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion is anything to go by, restoring electric power and rescuing Baghdad from the brink of anarchy will be a dangerous task.

When sent in to central Baghdad to inspect a transformer, the soldiers had to brave small arms fire, an attack by rocket propelled grenades and a street deliberately drenched in highly flammable diesel fuel.

After two days, and with protection from six Bradley armored vehicles, King's team finally carried out the inspection on Friday. It was a small event in a big war, but one that illustrates the complex mission of U.S. troops who are in the Iraqi capital and other cities, yet must continue to take as yet unconquered territory, such as Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

From the start, the American military has understood that it would be necessary to provide order so that Iraq could be rebuilt after the war. The reconstruction is "Phase Four" of the allied military plan. It is a critical stage of the operation and is supposed to follow "Phase Three," the decisive combat operations to defeat and oust Saddam and his government.

But Baghdad seems to be in "Phase Three and a Half." The government's hold on power has been broken and its army routed. But pockets of diehards are still trying to pick off American troops. Looting has been rampant and on Friday night flames from the Ministry of Planning lit up the horizon.

In Basra, a measure of order has already been established. The British are carrying out joint patrols with the local police, and even thwarted a bank robbery on Friday. But Baghdad is more complex.

With an estimated population of 4.5 million, it is far larger than Basra. The fact that Baghdad served as headquarters for Saddam's government means that it was heavily infested with Fedayeen paramilitary forces, Special Security Organization intelligence operatives and Special Republican Guard troops, some of which apparently continue to hide out in small pockets of the city.

And helping to restore order in Baghdad is just one task that confronts an American force that is stretched thin, with various duties. For example, taking Tikrit in the near future will necessarily involve diverting some forces from duties in and around the still insecure capital.

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