BAGHDAD, Iraq - First, American soldiers scoured the home for weapons as four veiled Iraqi women cowered on a dusty rug. Then a platoon sergeant politely wiped his muddy boots, came in and talked to the family about the violence suffocating their city. Staff Sgt. Michael James of the Army's 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment came with his platoon on a search-and-seizure mission. But he was careful to follow up with expressions of respect and concern. "Tell them, 'Thank you,' for their hospitality," James asked his translator. U.S. troops are working hard to strike a tricky balance between force and...