Fires Bulletin, Jul-Aug 07: Reconciliation in Iraq: Is it Acheivable?
....One of the new initiatives currently being implemented is “reconciliation.” General Petraeus recently addressed the people of Iraq (by letter) and urged them not only to reject violence, but to embrace reconciliation. As repeated by many political leaders in Iraq, now is the time for all Iraqis to join together and create the consensus needed to unite in pursuit of a common future.

Although this future does not include extremist groups, it does include Arabs, Kurds, Turkomen and Assyrians, Sunnis, Shi’as, Christians and Yezidis—all living together, respectful of tribal, ethnic and religious differences and bound by their belief in a government that serves all Iraqis. The Coalition Forces are focused on this objective; but to be achievable, success depends on the Iraqis wanting to reconcile.

This article reviews the reconciliation template in Iraq and compares it to similar initiatives used in Northern Ireland and other similar situations. The information used in this article is unclassified and available through open sources and often includes my personal opinion, not necessarily the opinions of the Coalition Forces.....