Political surge in Iraq.(News)

It has taken nine bloody and difficult months, but the deployment of 30 000 additional US troops appears at last to have brought not just a lull in the sectarian fighting in Iraq, but the first tangible steps toward genuine political reconciliation.

Last week, the parliament passed a crucial package of legislation that reflects real compromise among the many factions on Iraq's thorniest issues.

First, a law requires that provincial elections must be held by October 1, and a law spelling out the details on conducting the election be passed within 90 days. Free elections of accountable leaders would make it possible for the US to hand over power in many Sunni …