Iraqis Fear Era of Relentless Chaos, Cruelty
"It seems that we are reaching a point of no return," said an exasperated Abed Qadeer, a local architect.

"I would say we have been relatively successful in reducing the violence in Baghdad," Army Maj. Gen. William G. Webster, whose forces patrolled the city and environs, said before the latest spasm of attacks. "I believe that … saying anything about 'breaking the back' or 'about to reach the end of the line' or those kinds of things do not apply to the insurgency at this point.

"The insurgency is shifting all the time," he said. "This is a learning enemy."

"Saddam used to kill the people who opposed him, but the killing nowadays is random," said Yahya Salem, a retired government worker in Karada. "We have transformed from a dictatorship into something far worse. We have lost our country."

"This is no longer a place where people can live," said Khilood Mohammed, a mother of three whose neighborhood has been the scene of intense clashes. "No light of hope can be seen on the horizon."

As U.S. commanders wonder how to disengage from a conflict that appears increasingly unpopular at home, edgy troops grapple with an unnerving truth: Their very presence inspires the rebellion they seek to crush.

"Part of the recruitment for this insurgency is fueled by the perception that we are an occupying power and have no intention of leaving," Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, commander of the Multinational Corps, said in a recent interview. "I think we need to make it clear that we intend to draw down, and we intend to drawn down relatively soon, and we have no aspirations here."