http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11491483/
Today the curfew ban was lifted in Iraq by coalition forces. The curfew, instituted last Friday in response to the threat of civil war, managed to rein in violence some over the weekend, although sporadic attacks still bubbled over. This morning there were four mortar attacks in a Shiite neighborhood killing four and wounding 16. Sunday was also bloody, ending with 29 deaths that included three American soldiers, bringing the US body count to 2,291.
On a positive note however Sunnis have agreed to return to the bargaining table under the condition that Shiite's return mosques that they captured during last weeks riots.
"Adnan al-Dulaimi, whose Iraqi Accordance Front spearheaded the Sunni boycott, said the Sunnis have not decided to return to the talks but are intent on participating in a new government."
This is both good and bad news for US forces. It's wonderful to get some head way with the Sunni leadership, but, as I stated before, the US and UK alone don't have the numbers to keep the peace in Iraq. The curfew, which reduced but by no way eliminated violence in the region, was forced down because of food and economic shortages. Yet the same freedoms that allow people to participate in their unstable economy are the same freedoms that allow the insurgents to attack that infrastructure. Without a rise in troop number the US is playing a game of tug-of-war with the rebellion. Hopefully this week we'll be able to get beyond the Distraction game so that we may address this issue.
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