How the bottom up reconciliation works in Iraq

Brian Bresnahan:

Have our troops opened the doors to political reconciliation and gone beyond simply creating a secure environment in which the political solution in Iraq can be attained? Are they on the path toward attaining what professional diplomats could not?

The Marines have found a way to bring tribal Sheiks together, provide local security, and run Al Qaeda out of Anbar province. What just a year ago was counted as lost to Al Qaeda according to the intelligence report of the time is now a success story.

The Army’s 1st Cavalry has brokered a deal in the area around Taji which includes Sunni and Shiite tribes. The agreement has a diverse group ridding their neighborhoods of all terrorists and insurgents, regardless of political or religious affiliation, and working together to improve the area.

Under General Petraeus counter-insurgency leadership, our military has been able to achieve more than just security in areas of Iraq. In some cases, they are achieving political reconciliation at the grass-roots level.

The “surge” started out as an aggressive, collaborative, armed version of the “neighborhood watch” program, but has grown into a process by which previously disagreeing factions are discussing and smoothing out differences, allying for a common cause.

The professional politicians, diplomats, and critics should take note. What they have been unable to accomplish at the national level, our troops are accomplishing at the local level.

...
There is much more.

What the troops are doing is preparing the political battle space in Iraq for reconciliation. I don't think it would have ever happened with the top down approach pushed by the diplomats and politicians. They are accomplishing what the politicians only hoped could be done through the top down approach. It is also becoming much clearer that our forces are much better at counterinsurgency than al Qaeda is at insurgency. Be sure and read the post on the David Kilcullen piece below too to get a picture of how al Qaeda messed up.

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