Politicians in the U.S. often argue that we should "stop policing the civil war" and "go back to our bases" to focus on "counterterrorism." The experience of Ghazaliya says otherwise -- tamping down the civil war and getting out in the streets created the predicate for prying Sunnis from al-Qaida in an enormous blow to the terror group.
A similar turn has happened throughout Iraq, with tens of thousands of Sunnis allying with Americans and volunteering for local police forces. But American officers worry that the Shia government won't welcome them into formal government-security forces, which would be a crucial step toward Sunni-Shia reconciliation.
This balkanized city, a dusty maze of concrete and barbed wire, is a tableau of sectarian governance. Ghazaliya has no government services and it shows, while a short distance away the Shia neighborhood of Kadhimiyah has curbs freshly painted yellow-and-white and storefronts that, as one officer says, almost look like they could be in Naples, Italy.
What worries the Shia is precisely that Sunni volunteers not too long ago were facilitating horrific acts of terrorism against them. Why should they trust them now? This legitimate concern is augmented by Shia paranoia and insecurity. In the absence of a bold act of outreach by the government, we pay the Sunni volunteers and work to improve their communities, trying to foster their change of heart.
"There's a risk of this turning off and going back," says Burton. Lee and Jackson appear ready to surrender. But will the Iraqi government accept it?