From The Times Online:
Crouching in the shade under the back of a tank, four Iraqi soldiers stir sugar into small glasses of tea as they take a break from guard duty near a row of battered shops in the heart of Sadr City.
Passers-by throw wary glances at the troops as they come to terms with the new order in Baghdad's Shia slum, a stronghold of al-Mahdi Army militia until only three days ago when thousands of Iraqi forces took control.
The unprecedented attempt to stamp government authority on one of the last remaining no-go areas in Iraq followed seven weeks of fighting between US and Iraqi forces and militiamen that left more than 1,250 people dead and 2,500 wounded. Of the injured, about 600 people have lost at least one limb.
Read more ....
Other News Sources On Sadr City:
Iraqi troops move deeper into Sadr City as US kills eight civilians -- Iraq Updates
Spinning Mookie -- Iraq Pundit
Pentagon Praises Iraqi Troops Performance -- Eagle World News
Obstacle Emplacement in the COIN Fight -- OP-For
Iraqi troops tighten grip on Baghdad Shiite bastion -- AFP
My Comment: With Sadr under Central Government control, there are few if any major areas in Iraq that can harbor Al Qaeda or Shiite extremists. The next stage of this war is to see if this territory can be controlled and maintained with the central government, that security and rebuilding can be maintained.
The fact that this was an Iraqi Army operation gives me cause for hope.
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