US envoy doubts Iraqis will revert to violence (AP)

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer 20 minutes ago BAGHDAD - Iraqis, having lived through years of sectarian warfare, are unlikely to revert to mass violence as they sort out their future, the top U.S. diplomat to Baghdad told The Associated Press on Thursday. Ryan Crocker, a veteran Middle East diplomat who intends to finish his tour in the Iraqi capital in January, said it may take decades for the country to settle its many political, economic and social problems. And while he would not rule out a return to widespread sectarian violence — which has virtually ceased in recent months — Crocker said the main indicators of change in Iraq point toward an eventual reconciliation. He cited a "powerful force" of popular sentiment in Iraq that has underpinned the decline in violence. "And it would probably take quite a bit to shift... [read full story]