The Baghdad Order Of Battle as of March 5, 2007. Click map to view.

THE BAGHDAD SECURITY Plan is now well into its third week of operations since the official announcement on February 14. Over the course of the last week, Baghdad has seen a significant reduction in violence. Deaths from sectarian fighting have dropped dramatically since December. "The number of bodies found this month in Baghdad--most shot and showing signs of torture--has dropped by nearly 50 percent to 494 as of Monday [February 27], compared with 954 in January," reports the Associated Press. "The figure stood at 1,222 in December, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press."

Over the past week, there have been two mass-casualty car bomb attacks in Baghdad and no major suicide attacks. A car bomb was detonated in a New Baghdad market (10 killed, 21 wounded). Another was detonated at a Sadr City used-car lot (10 killed, 17 wounded). Also, there was an assassination attempt on Adel Abdul Mahdi, one of Iraq's two vice presidents. A bombing at the Ministry of Public Works killed 12 and wounded 42. Mahdi was lightly wounded. Overall, the last week has shown a significant reduction in violence relative to the flurry of suicide and car bombings that claimed hundreds at the beginning of the security operation.

The decrease in violence is encouraging, however the operation is in its opening phase and al Qaeda will work to find seams in the plan. The low number of suicide and car bomb attacks can be attributed to a combination of increased pressure, enhanced security checkpoints, and raids. The insurgency appears to have shifted operations to the provinces, and may be waiting out the U.S. surge or preparing for future operations. The drop in sectarian attacks can be attributed to a greater military presence inside Baghdad as well as desertions among the leadership of the Mahdi Army.

Iraqi and U.S. troops continue to move into the city, establishing checkpoints and building Joint Security Stations, where U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and police will patrol from inside the individual neighborhoods. Fifteen of the planned 32 Joint Security Stations are now open in Baghdad. The most recent station to open is located inside Sadr City, where elements of the 2nd Brigade of the 82 Airborne Division have set up shop. The 82nd, along with Iraqi soldiers and police and two companies of Strykers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division--1,150 troops total--have initiated a clearing operation in Sadr City. Sheikh Rahim al-Daraji, the mayor of Sadr City, has welcomed U.S. forces into the neighborhood, but is unhappy with the deployment of the 1st Iraqi Special Operations Forces. "We want you here sooner, rather than later," Al Daraji said.