The US and Iraqi military have rapidly built up their forces in and around Sadr City over the past several weeks. Two Iraqi Army brigades and elements from an Iraqi armored brigade and an Iraqi National Police brigade, along with eight US Army battalions, have been reported in military press releases to be operating inside Sadr City over the past several weeks. In early April, only two US Army battalions, an Iraqi Army brigade, and elements from an Iraqi National Police brigade were known to be operating inside Sadr City.
A US Army brigade, three Iraqi National Police brigades, and an Iraqi Army brigade are also operating in the neighborhoods adjacent to Sadr City. This unprecedented buildup of forces indicates the Iraqi government and the US military are serious about advancing into Sadr City beyond the southern third of the district, which is being hemmed in by the security barriers under construction.
That is a chunk of change. I wonder if we are waiting to really use this force in a big and obvious thrust into Sadr City for the Iraqi delegation to Iran to come back with some news of a public ending of Iranian support of the Sadrists to further demoralize the Sadrists.
Or perhaps we are just going to continue to quietly grind away at the Sadrists until they break and dissolve.
The important thing is that we are taking down the Shia gangs and Iranian death squads.
