Showcase and Chimera in the Desert.

The article examines the political and military situation in Anbar Province, Iraq. Once a stronghold of the insurgency, and the most dangerous region of the country for U.S. troops, Anbar is now relatively stable. Tribal leaders of the predominantly Sunni region have allied with U.S. forces against foreign and native Islamic extremists seeking to impose strict religious rule. It is unclear if such an alliance could take place elsewhere in Iraq.