I just had to blog this one.
There may be no more anti-American, anti-Iraq War publication in the world (with the exception of al-Jazeera) than the British newspaper The Guardian.
And that's why when I saw this headline and read the accompanying story, my jaw dropped and nearly hit the floor:
A surge of their own: Iraqis take back the streets
Attacks plummet as Shias join Sunnis in neighbourhood patrols to tackle militants and reunite communities.
And the positive spin in the story itself makes me believe that if the Guardian thinks things are getting better, that the situation in Iraq must be almost peachy:
The city's neighbourhood security groups vary greatly in form, content and function. But they all appear to have sprung from a shared desire to rise above the sectarian tensions tearing apart large areas of their city.
Though life in Baghdad is still far from normal, and the security situation still perilous, the capital's remarkably resilient population has begun to believe that the momentum for peace may be sustainable if it is left up to ordinary citizens. "They are filling a void left by Iraq's feuding and self-serving political elite, most of whom are hunkered down and out of touch in the Green Zone," said the western diplomat.
Though they are still dominated by Sunnis, the patrols' make-up increasingly reflects the ethnic and sectarian community they are guarding. An increasing number of Shia are now joining their ranks, some in a bid to counter the influence of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army in their area.
In al-Amil, Muhammad started as a volunteer but now gets about $10 a day from the local US ranking officer. The same goes for his colleagues. The Americans also gave them combat boots and reflective vests as a kind of uniform.
What's next? Praise for George Bush? A long piece on the positive affect of America's role in the world?
I wouldn't hold my breath.
Share