Iraq's future seen as bleak...Despite U.S. claims that violence is down

[ProSense]

Aug. 15, 2007, 1:49AM

Iraq's future seen as bleak

U.S. officials say factions aren't even attempting to reconcile at all

By LEILA FADEL
McClatchy-Tribune

BAGHDAD — Despite U.S. claims that violence is down in the Iraqi capital, U.S. military officers are offering a bleak picture of Iraq's future, saying they've yet to see any signs of reconciliation between Sunni and Shiite Muslims despite the drop in violence.

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And while top U.S. officials insist that 50 percent of the capital is now under effective U.S. or government control, compared with 8 percent in February, statistics indicate that the improvement in violence is at best mixed.

U.S. officials say the number of civilian casualties in the capital is down 50 percent. But U.S. officials declined to provide specific numbers, and statistics gathered by McClatchy Newspapers don't support the claim. The number of car bombings in July actually was 5 percent higher than the number recorded last December, according to the McClatchy statistics, and the number of civilians killed in explosions is about the same.

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When President Bush announced plans to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq to help calm Baghdad, U.S. officials had hoped that any decrease in violence would lead to greater willingness from Shiite and Sunni political leaders to reach an accommodation.

But that hasn't happened. Sunnis have accused the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of making no effort to stop Shiite militias from forcing Sunnis from their homes. Sunni ministers have withdrawn from the government in protest.

In the meantime, the most touted success of the campaign — an alliance between U.S. forces and some Sunni insurgent groups against al-Qaida in Iraq — has angered many in the al-Maliki government, who accuse the U.S. of supporting groups that could ultimately turn against the government.

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