BAGHDAD (AP) – Security forces in Baghdad have full control in only 40 percent of the city five months into the pacification campaign, a top American general said Saturday as U.S. troops began an offensive against two al-Qaida strongholds on the capital’s southern outskirts.

The military, meanwhile, reported that paratroopers had found the ID cards of two missing U.S. soldiers at an al-Qaida safe house 100 miles north of where they were captured last month, but there was no sign of the men. The house contained computers, video equipment and weapons.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said American troops launched the offensive in Baghdad’s Arab Jabour and Salman Pac neighborhoods Friday night. It was the first time in three years that U.S. soldiers entered those areas, where al-Qaida militants build car bombs and launch Katyusha rockets at American bases and Shiite Muslim neighborhoods.

The overall commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said during a news conference with visiting Defense Secretary Robert Gates that the operation would put troops into key al-Qaida-held areas surrounding Baghdad.

Full Story Here:
U.S. Says 60pc of Baghdad Not Controlled

I am certainly NOT going to criticize our troops, not in ANY way, for this rather disappointing number, 60% of Baghdad not being under control, but I will point this out, 100% of Baghdad was under control during the reign of Saddam Hussein, and I am not saying he was right in his method of maintaining that control, not in any way, but I am saying this, there will never be anyone able to exercise full control over Baghdad until they employee those same tactics used by Saddam, or something very similar…

How can anyone even remotely imagine that we could control Baghdad and stop all the violence there?? We can’t fully control the violence and crime on our own city streets, we do our best to keep it contained, and in most cases our law enforcement personnel do a great job, but there ARE areas in URBAN America that the police will avoid at all costs…

The lower 9th Ward of New Orleans was one of those areas and stands in testament to what a neighborhood out of control looked like, until Katrina came along and cleaned it out FOR them, the New Orleans cops wouldn’t be caught in that area after the sun went down, but Katrina washed the dregs of New Orleans to other communities across this nation…

That is what the ’surge’ in Baghdad is going to do, as surely as you’re reading this, the bad guys will go where our troops aren’t and they’ll set up shop as soon as they get there…

And here’s what I want to know, IF the surge is successful, what percentage of Baghdad will be declared as ‘under control’?? 60%?? 75%?? Because it will never be 100% under control, and also, at what point do the Iraqis stand and take on their own security needs?? What percentage of control will dictate that great and noble action?? Will the U.S. forces have to do ALL the work for the Iraqis?? Will we have to stay in Iraq for the next 50 years?? And if we DO stay in Iraq, how are we going to actually ’secure’ the city of Baghdad?? Anyone want to address that??

Has anyone looked at the land area of the city of Baghdad?? It is approximately the same size as Los Angeles, California, 81 square miles, and if you think that L.A. is under total control, think again, ask some of the bloggers that live in the area…

Control Baghdad?? We haven’t got it done yet… And it may never happen, at least not under the current rules of engagement our troops are saddled with…