Good news from Anbar
No, that’s not snark. Over the past few weeks, positive reports have begun coming in from Anbar.
Uneasy Alliance Is Taming One Insurgent Bastion - New York Times
Anbar Province, long the lawless heartland of the tenacious Sunni Arab resistance, is undergoing a surprising transformation. Violence is ebbing in many areas, shops and schools are reopening, police forces are growing and the insurgency appears to be in retreat.
“Many people are challenging the insurgents,” said the governor of Anbar, Maamoon S. Rahid, though he quickly added, “We know we haven’t eliminated the threat 100 percent.”
Many Sunni tribal leaders, once openly hostile to the American presence, have formed a united front with American and Iraqi government forces against Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. With the tribal leaders’ encouragement, thousands of local residents have joined the police force. About 10,000 police officers are now in Anbar, up from several thousand a year ago. During the same period, the police force here in Ramadi, the provincial capital, has grown from fewer than 200 to about 4,500, American military officials say.
Don’t miss Kirk Semple’s narrated slide show, available at the link. The NYTimes offers these frequently now, and they are always well done and worthwhile.
Inputs vs. Outputs
WaPo reporting from Iraq
Sunnis Register to Vote
Let’s do the time warp again
Pick a headline, any headline