Toward a less deadly Iraq

Iraq is experiencing what has been called a "creeping normalization," which is not to say that life is normal for most Iraqis. The daily and monthly death tolls are still unacceptably high if the country is to rebuild its economy and public life. The Al Qaeda-affiliated group known as the Islamic State of Iraq has claimed responsibility for several of the recent bombings, although Prime Minister Nouri Maliki also has blamed remnants of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. The bombers appear determined to show that Maliki's U.S.-backed government cannot provide security in place of American troops -- now largely confined to bases and scheduled to pull out this year -- and are doing what they can to reignite the embers of sectarian strife. The violence is expected to increase in the run-up to national elections on March 7, as Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities vie for power.

The United States can continue to provide the Iraqi government with intelligence and other support to battle extremists, as well as advice for strengthening governance. But it is up to the Iraqis now to finish the business of political reconciliation. Besides holding another fair election, they must build an impartial judicial system, continue to integrate disaffected Sunnis into the Shiite-dominated military and political process, and figure out how to divide power and resources between the central and provincial governments, particularly in the Kurdish region. This is what will bring the death toll down even further and prevent the country's return to civil war.