Of course national conciliation was and still is the goal Ron, early days yet but things do seem to be moving in the right direction. What has happened though is that various parties are now prepared to try talking and co-operating. MNF Troops have not been scared off, the "insurgent" groups now realise that they (MNF troops) may be there for the long term and that the "insurgent" groups have not the backing to fight them. This is not the "Cold War" the Russians are not pouring money and resources into backing them just in order to embarrass America. If the insurgency in Iraq was ever to gain any headway it had to scare you off about a year ago, give them their due they did try their best to foment the civil war that you lot kept wittering on about, but they failed, they failed miserably.