al Qaeda.

Despite persistent sectarian tensions in the Iraqi government, war-weary Sunnis and Shiites are joining hands at the local level to protect their communities from militants on both sides, U.S. military officials say.

In the last two months, a U.S.-backed policing movement called Concerned Citizens, launched last year in Sunni-dominated Anbar province under the banner of the Awakening movement, has spread rapidly into the mixed Iraqi heartland.

…

Commanders in the field think they have tapped into a genuine public expression of reconciliation that has outpaced the elected government’s progress on mending the sectarian rift.

As late as this summer, there were no Shiites in the community policing groups. Today, there are about 15,000 in 24 all-Shiite groups and 18 mixed groups, senior U.S. military officials say. More are joining daily.

Before the surge, Qarghulia was not a place you went often if you were an American soldier. You need to read the whole thing. I wish I could copy it all here, but obviously the limitations of Fair Use prohibit that. Here’s your take-away:

Gitan said sect plays no part in his command, which will be split almost evenly between Sunni and Shiite.

“All of us are hand in hand,” he said.

The comments on the column are amusing. I think they’ve been spewing talking points for so long, it’s become nature.

22. Illegal war about oil. Rather than getting us addicts off the stuff, they want to spend 3 trillion to continue to supply our habit, and by the way they’ll line their pockets just like any other pusher.
Submitted by: wyomingdawn

Actual evidence to back claims isn’t required when you’re a Moonbat.

25. I am a South African. Grew up in a state of emergency practically my whole life till 1994. If you asked what the emergency was I could not tell, suffice to say that propaganda was behind it. Now The US is in a war that was not meant to be. It is fed by propaganda and will thrive on it. If you continue funding this war in Iraq you will not stop. Iraq is not going to go up in flames becoz the US has withdrawn. Let those guys sort out the mess the US has started. It will be ugly initiallly as always but sense will ultimately prevail. Get out of Iraq.
Submitted by: Thabo

Hear that? Thabo from South Africa says Iraq won’t go up in flames if we leave now. It must be true!