U.S., Iraqi troops control a third of Baghdad | International | Reuters

U.S., Iraqi troops control a third of Baghdad | International | Reuters: "BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S.-led soldiers control only about a third of Baghdad, the military said on Monday, almost four months into a security crackdown during which troops are dying at rates not seen for more than two years.

More than 18,000 extra U.S. troops have been deployed around Baghdad as part of the campaign, which began in mid-February and is seen as a last-ditch attempt to drag Iraq back from the brink of all-out sectarian civil war.

The last of five brigades to be deployed in the crackdown will be in place soon, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver said, adding that it would not be possible to judge the crackdown's success until all units were in place.

'Obviously we're constantly doing an assessment of the plan, but that plan doesn't kick in until everyone's here. We control about a third of the neighborhoods,' he said." Read complete post here.