Karrada: a showcase Iraqi suburb?
Updated on 10 September 2007
An upbeat assessment is expected from Capitol Hill.
But most Democrats claim there is plenty of evidence the US troop surge has failed.
And what about where it matters in Iraq?
Here in Baghdad the Iraqi prime minister is backing up General Petraeus, claiming the extra troops have reduced violence in and around Baghdad by 75 per cent.
But he also admitted his troops were not ready to protect Iraqi citizens without the help of the Americans.
On the ground what difference has the surge made to ordinary Iraqis?
The suburb of Karrada - an area surrounded by the river Tigres in the southeastern part of Baghdad - is held up by the Americans as a showcase for the surge.
There have been security improvements - but life there is still far from normal.
