So far, it appears that Iraqi troops have now been able to enter the city and set up check points, though they did find a weapons cache.

I’m not optimistic. Both sides are waiting for the right moment to restart this, though my money is on Maliki doing it, because if he does not disrupt the Iraqi provincial elections, which have now been oh so conveniently pushed past the November US elections, it’s pretty clear that his party Dawa, and that of the his Hakeem allies, will get shellacked.