Marines who were here a couple of years ago told that this was a truly unique experience. We walked through the marketplace in Haditha. The same place that had been a no go zone was now a thriving place, where we could just walk around and talk to shop keepers. Some of the shop keepers complained about petty crimes and burglaries. A local police commander claimed that the situation was under control. In any case, nobody wanted to go back to the bad old days – not so long ago.
As I walked through the city, I noticed a lot of people with red hair. I do not know what explains this anomaly or even if it is an anomaly at all.
BTW – “hadith” in Arabic describes oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet. The town of Haditha has a lot of traditions associated with it and most of what Americans associate with the place is probably bad. It is not like that anymore.