Via Andrew Sullivan, a fine example of American generosity and know-how:

Kirkuk, a multiethnic city of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen and Assyrians that is 150 miles north of the capital, may be the U.S. military's greatest Iraq success story. Attacks on soldiers are unusual, violent crime is low, and Iraqis have worked with Americans to restore basic services to prewar levels.

The paratroopers in Kirkuk, like those in Mosul, the other major northern city, have thrown themselves into nation-building, and they have outpaced the rest of Iraq in turning over local government, security and reconstruction tasks to Iraqis.

That effort is aided by the peaceful environment, partly a result of the city's geography and ethnic balance, and the 173d Airborne's quick moves to establish control after the war. Another big factor is that there is less coalition bureaucracy; soldiers can act on the spot to solve problems.

The article offers many other instances of successful communication with locals and solid progress towards normalcy - democratic normalcy - while hinting that the secret to the 173rd's success is a lack of bureaucratic interference. That's something for timid politicians in Washington to consider as they seek a U.N.-mandated or loan-stuffed back door as if it were the best option, rather than the easiest one. Is this story an isolated case? Not at all, with nine-tenths of the country peaceful; what's more, paratrooper units have generally been leading the way in infrastructure restoration and Iraqi fellowship. Consider Kirkuk and Mosul models of civilized order that, once appreciably restored to allow for resources to shift elsewhere, can eventually be duplicated across the country. Our boys and the Iraqis will win this, yet.