Iraq - The final battle of Diwaniyah?

From the Reuters Factbox we learn,

DIWANIYA - An Iraqi army commander said 70 U.S. vehicles as well as helicopters had arrived at the Polish-run base in the city of Diwaniya, the scene of fierce clashes between Shi'ite militias and the Iraqi army that left dozens dead on Monday. The U.S. military declined comment.

I've been talking about this Diwaniyah conflict alot, but it's hugely significant as it represents government/SCIRI forces agaist Sadr's militia and has become a symbolic fight for the Sadr supporters throughout the country.

The key question is whether this significant increase in US presence is merely threat or presages a conflict. This would be the largest assault against Sadr supporting militias and that will have major repercussions.

And, in the Baghdad security operation? Like I said yesterday, some temporary success with deaths significantly down earlier this month, but that now seems to be slipping away. But any successes seem limited to the duration of a US troop presence.

So far, the U.S. military says, U.S. and Iraqi forces have searched more than 33,000 buildings, including 25 mosques. But the yield has been relatively small. They have detained 70 suspects and seized more than 700 weapons and 19 arms caches, and they have cleared 10,200 tons of trash.

Commanders concede that insurgents and killers may be waiting out the U.S. presence, knowing the troops will soon move on.

The same article notes that the Iraqi participation in Operation Forward Together often consists of just a few "observers."

(As a possible example for what will happen when US troops move on, look to Mosul, which had been a moderate pacifying success, and is now getting more violent since the 172nd Stryker brigade was pulled out for the Baghdad Operation.)

Iraq is a dyke with 200,000 holes, and the US only has 140,000 fingers.