Many prayers and good wishes for all, always.
My son is "safe" in Tikrit..he is now no longer covert ops but is the Safety Officer/Accident Investigator.
I also have a brother who has lived in Baghdad for several years. The precautions are wide and varied. He finds not using a vehicle but walking is the safest way to go about. To get to far away, they walk a few miles out of Baghdad, then catch a govt. vehicle.
I hope this latest increased effort will do the trick and make the area safe, so they can all come home soon.