They Call This Progress in Iraq

This article goes into detail about the present conditions in a section of Baghdad called Hurriyah.

Shiite Militia Expands Grip in Baghdad

At one time, both Shiites and Sunnis lived together in Hurriyah. The Sunnis were essentially thrown out (i.e. killed or forced out) by the Shiite militia. Many many "civil war" deaths later, that Shiite militia now controls Hurriyah.

Shiites are living in the apartments and housing that was abandoned by the Sunnis. As a result of the cleansing of Sunnis, resettling of more Shiite, and intense control by the Shiite militia, this area of Baghdad is relatively calm. The calm occurs because there are no more Sunnis to kill or remove from Hurriyah. In my opinion this is like calling the aftermath of a bombing, a period of calmness. This is a bitter and reframed definition of the word calm as only those in high positions know how to create.

Here are a few quotes from the article:

"They (the Shiite militia) control people's lives..."

"They are worse than the Baathists"

"Hurriyah is a very beautiful place...But unfortunately, it fell in the hands of gangs."

Oh yeah, the Shiite militia is called the Mahdi Army. The leader of that militia is none other than Muqtada al-Sadr, alleged enemy of the U.S.