"Where did they go?"
Just so we're under no illusions about the tough task the US forces in Iraq have in handing over to Iraqi troops, have a read of this account in the NY Times of yesterday's raids in Baghdad. A join US-Iraqi (but supposedly Iraqi-led) force raided the deadly Haifa Street (known as Sniper Alley) to try to clear the street once and for all of insurgents. First the Iraqi troops pitched up late, meaning that the Americans had to begin the dangerous house-to-house search themselves, then instead of clearing the houses of insurgents, they were rifling through CD collections and cracking jokes, before some troops disappeared altogether!

Well worth a read, even if it is just for dark humour.