In Iraq, Shiite Sadr City Recovers While Sunni Areas Crumble

"Sadr City, once infamous as a fetid slum and symbol of Shiite repression, is recovering with the help of $41 million in reconstruction funds from the Shiite- led Iraqi government, all of it spent since May, according to Iraqi officials, and millions more in American assistance."

"But as Shiite areas like Sadr City begin to thrive as self-enclosed fiefdoms, middle-class Sunni enclaves are withering into abandoned ghettoes, starved of government services."

"These days Sadr City, Baghdad's largest Shiite area, is at once a test of whether its progress can be sustained, a flashpoint for sectarian tensions, and the heart of the Shiite government's political and military base."

"Undeniably, Sadr City has grown over the past few months as families move from what Iraqis call "hot zones," typically Sunni areas where violence has brought daily routines to a standstill. Schools are packed with children, rents have increased, and the economy here has come alive."