Ms. Shaima said her two sons now carried guns at night to protect her and her neighbors. The Shiite-led Iraqi government will not protect them because the Shiites "want to finish us," she said. "They will start breaking into our houses, raping us in front of our children, then killing us with our kids," she added. "They will let Iraq reach a point where Palestinian misery will seem like a picnic."

... Some Iraqis draw the border at their own doorsteps.

Saadi Khazaal Jawad, 60, a Shiite former government worker and restaurateur, said his neighborhood was so dangerous, he was a virtual shut-in.

On most days, Mr. Jawad said, he prays, eats, naps, reads newspapers and watches television. Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray are among his favorites.

... Iraqis all across Baghdad said it could take years ...