The opposite has occurred.The surge battles, which started during February 2007, coincided with and contributed greatly to the formation of many of the two million internally-displaced and another two million externally-displaced Iraqis. Most of the displaced persons are of Sunni origin and many have lost their homes in Baghdad to rival Shiites. The "surge" constructed walls that separate Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, but did not stop the Shiite dominated government from continuing its sectarian appearance by encouraging support from Shiite dominated Iran.
Sunnis reacted by fortifying themselves with U.S. assistance, which began during the surge after the U.S. finally awakened to the allegiance between Iraqi and Iranian Shiites. Saudi Arabia's leaders, who shake at the mention of the word "Shi'a," have indicated a willingness to polarize the factions further by assisting the Sunnis "to prevent Iranian-backed Shiite militias from harming Iraqi Sunnis once the US begins pulling out of Iraq." (The Washington Post on Nov. 29, 2007) Add these surge-induced problems to unresolved problems (control of Kirkuk and Mosul, unceasing terrorist attacks, and lessening but still existing sectarian government militias) and "surge" success becomes questionable.
BAGHDAD, July 28, 2008: Iraq was struck by a series of female suicide bombings and ethnic violence that shook the country and left the volatile northern city of Kirkuk reeling amid fears of further bloodshed between the Kurds who dominate the city and its large population of Turkmen. All told, at least 61 people were killed and 238 wounded throughout the country on Monday, nearly all of them Kurdish political protesters in Kirkuk and Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad.
US INSTITUTE OF PEACE, April 7, 2008: In its September 6, 2007 report to Congress, the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq stated that Iraq's Interior Ministry was "dysfunctional and sectarian" and the National Police should be "disbanded and reorganized." The report was consistent with press reports that sectarian militias were in control of the Ministry and the National Police were engaged in sectarian violence.
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