Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Shiites helping Sunnis in some mixed neighborhoods; lack of trust causing some disconnects

"In the aftermath of one of the deadliest spasms of violence, a new level of fear and foreboding has gripped Baghdad, fueled in part by sectarian text messages and Internet sites, deepening tensions in an already divided capital.
. . . Yet amid the fear gripping this city of 7 million, there were also signs of Iraq's famous cohesiveness, even as the sectarian divide widened. In some mixed neighborhoods, Shiites provided shelter to Sunnis targeted by Shiite militiamen, even though they risked being branded as collaborators. Others took care of Sunni children or bought groceries for Sunni neighbors who feared walking to the local market.
. . . [And yet,] on Palestine Street, Fehad Galib heard the rumors. The Mahdi Army had rounded up 150 young Sunni men like him and taken them to Jamila Market, the area in Sadr City where two of Thursday's car bombs exploded. Then they executed them. There was another rumor -- that the Interior Ministry was handing out police uniforms to the Mahdi Army.
That is why Galib was reluctant to allow his kid brothers to stay with Shiite neighbors his family has known for decades. "We don't have complete trust in them," said Galib, 21, a college student who carries an AK-47."

source
The Washington Post. Baghdad Braces For More Reprisals: Cellphones and Web Spread Threats, Fear. November 26, 2006.

posted: wednesday, november 29, 2006, 3:35 PM ET
update: wednesday, november 29, 2006, 3:39 PM ET

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