If anything, this could prove to be an opportunity for the US to set the record straight with the Sunnis and perhaps provide a window of opportunity for them to take part in their country's political process, albeit belatedly.

Sunnis made the mistake of boycotting the national election out of opposition to the US occupation and the power-sharing scheme, for fear the Shi'ites, who make up about 60 per cent of the Iraqi population, would end up with a disproportionate share of power in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

The Sunnis are now asking the Americans to drop any plans for an early withdrawal of troops. Some Sunni leaders have reportedly said they want to see more US troops patrolling the streets to contain the violence.

While the US should take this seemingly positive gesture from the Sunnis into consideration when it makes an assessment of the situation and updates its strategy in Iraq, Washington should not mistake this development for new-found affection. Many Sunnis are still angry about the fact that the US-led invasion has helped strengthen neighbouring Iran, with whom Iraq fought a bloody war from 1980-88. It's an open secret that Tehran is staunch supporter of the Shi'ite parties that rule Iraq today.

Nevertheless, this new gesture marks a significant shift in attitude on the part of Sunnis and could very well influence Washington's plans for a reduction in the 134,000 troops now stationed in the strife-torn country.

It could also open doors for the US in their attempt to engage certain elements in the Sunni-led insurgency in a dialogue, one example being Sunni-dominated Anbar province, where the tide has turned. There, insurgents who used to wage guerrilla warfare against foreign troops are now asking the American troops to keep the predominantly Shi'ite Iraqi paramilitary in check.

While Shi'ite actions may have caused the Sunnis' change of heart, credit should also go to US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the front man in American efforts to engage Sunni Arabs in the political process.

While the dialogue between the US and Sunni groups is a step in the right direction, bringing a permanent end to the ongoing sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'ites is no walk in the park.

As recently as July 9, Shi'ite militiamen dragged people from their cars and homes, summarily executing them. Families were forced to take refuge in the back of a local mosque.

On Monday, dozens of heavily armed attackers raided an open-air market in Mahmoudiya, just south of Baghdad, killing at least 41 and wounding about 90, mostly Shi'ites. The assault came after a brief mortar barrage. It appeared the raid was part of the escalating campaign of sectarian killings that have plunged the country to the brink of civil war.

While the jury is still out on what Iran would do, Tehran needs to be reminded in no uncertain terms that religious ties do not give Iran a licence to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs. The long-suffering people of Iraq deserve a chance to determine their own destiny, hopefully along a democratic path.

Washington is now faced with an uneasy choice: a quick troop pull-out, which would risk plunging Iraq into civil war; or a gradual scaling down of its military presence, which would ensure the long-term sustainability of that country's fledgling democracy.