Is Baghdad a Maelstrom?

Without any *systematic* information on the conflict in Iraq, just ad-hoc reporting, two articles surface suggesting that Baghdad is a maelstrom.

From The Independent, a sense that the siege mentality is *complete* and that the fortifications are growing, not even holding the same (enlarged enough to shoot down helicopters over Baghdad, bold enough to kidnap mayors in Baquba and to storm council meetings in Karbala in broad daylight using uniform disguises and fancy, black SUVs).

From the NYT, a description of the effort to settle down one district, Ghazaliya.

Oddly, here is a map from last September indicating that MNF-1 thought Ghazaliya (area 2) was "cleared":