Cautious Calm Returns to Border Cities After Halt of Faction Attacks

An atmosphere of cautious calm has returned to pervade Iraqi cities and villages adjacent to military bases housing US forces, especially in Anbar and Erbil, after armed factions committed to halting attacks as part of the truce. Residents of these areas suffered throughout the past period from the sounds of explosions, a constant state of terror, and the disruption of schools and businesses. The locals are now demanding governmental guarantees to permanently distance military headquarters from residential areas, avoiding the use of their cities as shields or arenas for mutual responses should the fragile truce collapse.