oldreliable67
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Today's WSJ has an excellent article recounting the efforts of a U.S. Army Lt Col in Tal Afar. Tal Afar, as you may recall from the news, has been the scene of some pretty intense fighting. The following excerpt from the article gives you the flavor, but to fully appreciate it, go read the whole thing...
"At an old British fort at the edge of town here, about a dozen sheiks gathered at 6 p.m. last Friday for a traditional Ramadan feast.
Some were Sunni. Some were Shiite. The results were predictable for a region in which months of violence and tit-for-tat assassinations and car bombs have created deep sectarian divides. A Sunni complained that masked Shiite informants were spreading lies about innocent Sunnis to Americans. "We have to get rid of these people who wear masks!" he yelled. The lead Shiite present stormed off to a corner to sit by himself.
But the session had a surprising ending. The shouting gave way to discussion, and the sheiks laid plans to form a local reconciliation committee composed of six Sunni and six Shiite representatives.
It was a small victory for the American military leader, Lt. Col. Chris Hickey, who arranged for the feast with just such a goal."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB112925326708268413.html?mod=home_page_one_us
Just my opinion: this is the essence of our purpose in Iraq. By facilitating reconciliation and communication, we pave the way for a representative form of government and forestall creation of the fundamentalist Muslim caliphate in Iraq and across the breadth of the Middle East.
Ok, people, for those of you that are so inclined, flame away...
"At an old British fort at the edge of town here, about a dozen sheiks gathered at 6 p.m. last Friday for a traditional Ramadan feast.
Some were Sunni. Some were Shiite. The results were predictable for a region in which months of violence and tit-for-tat assassinations and car bombs have created deep sectarian divides. A Sunni complained that masked Shiite informants were spreading lies about innocent Sunnis to Americans. "We have to get rid of these people who wear masks!" he yelled. The lead Shiite present stormed off to a corner to sit by himself.
But the session had a surprising ending. The shouting gave way to discussion, and the sheiks laid plans to form a local reconciliation committee composed of six Sunni and six Shiite representatives.
It was a small victory for the American military leader, Lt. Col. Chris Hickey, who arranged for the feast with just such a goal."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB112925326708268413.html?mod=home_page_one_us
Just my opinion: this is the essence of our purpose in Iraq. By facilitating reconciliation and communication, we pave the way for a representative form of government and forestall creation of the fundamentalist Muslim caliphate in Iraq and across the breadth of the Middle East.
Ok, people, for those of you that are so inclined, flame away...