Once the assault ends, the militants usually come back...

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http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBT0UTZBEE.html

Marines Resort to "sweeping" Through Lawless Cities in Hunt for Insurgents in Iraq


HADITHA, Iraq (AP) - Periodic U.S. offensives across Iraq's huge western region aim to keep insurgents on the run. But stamping them out completely is another matter: Once the assault ends, the militants usually come back.

Overstretched American forces can't keep a permanent presence in the swath of territory leading to the Syrian border - an area the size of West Virginia - and too few Iraqi forces are on the ground to hold the towns.

The latest operation, launched Saturday when 1,000 mostly Marines stormed the village of Sadah near the Syrian border, could end the same way several other offensives have since this spring - with partial control of a spot for only a limited period of time.

The problem, the Marines say, is the lack of Iraqi troops or soldiers to maintain control once U.S. troops have swept through, searching block-by-block for suspects.