This is one of the small successes that they eluded to in the testamonies.



BAGHDAD — -- Mahdi Army commander Hamoudi Naji and his men paraded past the grocery stores, car repair shops and brick homes in the Ugaidat neighborhood, the one section of Washash not under his control. It was a reminder to everyone watching that even if he couldn't touch this one area, the entire district belonged to him.

It had been five months since the Shiite militia leader had hammered out the truce with Abu Yasser, a senior member of the Sunni clan that Ugaidat was named after. The tribe had been able to fend him off, and Naji, a vegetable seller and car thief with a love of violence, had finally agreed to leave the Ugaidat clan alone.

On Thursday night, Naji watched Sunni and Shiite men sipping tea by their front gates and children playing games for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that has just begun. Up the street, Abu Yasser spotted him.


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Instead of a new thread I just thought I would put it here.


The Bush administration has been so enthusiastic in touting its new alliance with Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar Province that it's easy to overlook two basic questions: Why did it take so long to reach an accommodation with the Sunnis? And is Anbar really a good model for stabilizing the rest of Iraq?

First, the what-took-so-long issue: The fact is, Sunni tribal leaders have been queuing up for four years to try to make the kind of alliances that have finally taken root in Anbar. For most of that time, these overtures were rebuffed by US officials who, not inaccurately, regarded the Sunni sheikhs as local warlords.


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Communal resentments were so entrenched that once blood was spilled, many Sunnis decided they were better off leaving the district despite assurances from the U.S. military that it was increasing its patrols and adding Iraqi troops

That's progress.

A success that would have happened without the surge. The surge was suppose to make Baghdad a safer place so that political crap could get done. But that did not show much promise they quickly foiund something they could use Anbar was that situation.

We seem to take one step forward and 2 steps sideways. We seem to be like a dog chasing it's tail.

The US will find any little brite spot to pump up as a success. The Iraqis are the only ones that can show any real success and they do not seem to be ready.

Alawi is still flexing his muscle trying to gain support so that he can take over the country's leadership.

Allawi and Sebastian during the debate
THE solution to the Iraqi quagmire lies in putting an end to sectarianism, strengthening institutions and increased co-operation from neighbours, Iraq’s former prime minister Ayad Allawi has told a special session of the Doha Debates.
During Wednesday’s session, Allawi also accused British forces of giving up too early in Basra, only days after Britain announced its handover in December to Iraqi forces.


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