And the bad guys obey that, I suppose? Seriesly, what is the thinking with that?
btw, let me say that I appreciate your postings!
The rationale behind that is that they can immediately arrest anyone carrying a weapon during this lockdown. So if the bad guys are the only ones carrying, they'll get nailed on a checkpoint search and taken into custody. There are also troops all over the place.
When the clamp comes off this place, Iraqi citizens will be allowed to carry again. They've implemented this curfew and no-carry law before - the most recent being the time following the Samarra mosque bombing.