A selection of important articles recommended by George Packer. It's a cycle of inter-related stories; the effect is greatest once all of the articles have been read.

With every passing day, Johnathan Rapley's conception of the New Middle Ages seems increasingly likely.

Letter from Iraq: Inside the Surge

Amar was a lifelong friend of Karim’s. Three months earlier, Amar and his older brother, Jafaar, had been riding in the van of a friend, Sayeed, when a group of gunmen hailed them. Amar recognized them as Mahdi Army men, and assumed that they were coming to say hello. As Sayeed braked, the car was riddled with gunfire. Amar crouched as low as he could, as the Mahdi Army men emptied their Kalashnikovs. He was unhurt, but Jafaar and Sayeed were dead.

That night, Amar told Karim that, at the morgue, he had sworn over his brother’s body to take revenge. He had vowed to kill a hundred Mahdi men—ten for each of Jafaar’s fingers. His mother, Um Jafaar, supported him, and begged Karim to help her son. He agreed.

...

“Americans are too honorable, too clean,” he said. “They have to kill these people. They are dirty. Anyway, if they don’t kill them, I will. But helping the Americans arrest them helps them not suspect me.”

Baghdad's Weary Start to Exhale as Security Improves

... for the first time in nearly two years, people are moving with freedom ... Iraqis are clearly surprised and relieved ... But the depth and sustainability of the changes remain open to question.

Many Iraqis say they would still rather leave the country than go home.

The Americans describe the volunteers as heroes, part of a larger nationwide campaign known as the Sunni Awakening. But Abu Nebras said he did not trust them. "Some of the Awakening members are just Al Qaeda who have joined them," he said. "I know them from before."

Mrs. Aasan said she was thrilled and relieved just a few days ago, when her college-aged son got stuck at work after dark and his father managed to pick him up and drive home without being killed.

"They drove back to Dora at 8!" she added, glancing at her husband, who beamed, chest out, like a mountaineer who had scaled Mount Everest.

Iraqis Wasting An Opportunity, US Officers Say

A window of opportunity has opened ... but "it's unclear how long that window is going to be open."

"It is painful, very painful," dealing with the obstructionism of Iraqi officials, said Army Lt. Col. Mark Fetter. As for the Sunni fighters who for years bombed and shot U.S. soldiers and now want to join the police, Fetter shrugged. "They have got to eat," he said ...

... all the US military officials interviewed said their most pressing concern is ... "You don't want the Sunnis that are working with you ... to go back to the dark side."

... in Iraq, the country is drifting "towards a warlord state, along a Basra model, with power devolved to local militias, gangs, tribes, and power-brokers, with a purely nominal central state."

Military planners already worry that if security continues to improve, many of the 2 million Iraqis who fled the country will return. "Displaced people is a major flashpoint" to worry about in 2008, said Fetter.

Meet Abu Abed: the US's new ally against al-Qaida

The Americans call their new allies Concerned Citizens.

"It's just a way to get arms."

"It's like someone who brought cats to fight rats, found himself with too many cats and brought dogs to fight the cats. Now they need elephants."

Ameriya is a closed zone, surrounded by high concrete walls. Only pedestrians are allowed through the two Iraqi army checkpoints out of the suburb. The "knights" are the only authority inside.

Abu Abed told me of his grand dreams. "Ameriya is just the beginning. After we finish with al-Qaida here, we will turn toward our main enemy, the Shia militias.

"This is Ameriya, not Iraq!"

US Scales Back Political Goals for Iraqi Unity

"This is going to be a long, hard slog," said Ryan Crocker.

... signs that American influence over Iraqi politics is dwindling ...

the White House wants ... provincial elections ... before Mr. Bush leaves office ...

... benchmarks remain largely unfulfilled.

Despite the reduction in violence, ... some Democrats ... have continued to press ... for a withdrawal.

American officials in Baghdad ... are focusing on pragmatic goals like helping the Iraqi government spend the money in its budget.

As Democrats See Security Gains in Iraq, Tone Shifts

leading Democratic presidential candidates are ... arguing ... that a quick withdrawal is the only way to end the war ...

... there is no assurance that the ebbing of violence ... represents a real trend ...

Mrs. Clinton said, "We need to stop refereeing their civil war and start getting out of it."

Obama told a crowd, "[American] People are struggling. And it doesn't seem like Washington is listening."

Biden ... who has been praised by his rivals as a thoughtful voice on Iraq, ... frames discussions ... around his plan to create strong regional governments in Iraq ...

US Starts First Major Pullout From Iraq

"We do not assess we are in a trend of peace; we are in a trend of decreasing violence."

... on Saturday, Iraqi dignitaries and families gathered on a riverbank for the ceremonial reopening of a famed boulevard: Abu Nawas Street, on the east side of the Tigris once famous for its fish restaurants.

It is a showcase project by Iraq's government to reassure Iraqis of the success of its nine-month security crackdown.

Plan Increases Role of G.I.’s in Iraq Training

The plan ... is ... to transfer more of the security burden in Iraq to the Iraqis ...

... efforts to quickly transfer authority often backfired.

“Don’t do it too fast,” said Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik, who oversees the training of Iraq’s security forces. “Transfer those responsibilities that you can to the organizations that can handle them and withhold responsibility from organizations that can’t.”