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More Iraqis tipping off security forces on insurgent actions (Mariam Fam,
April 3, 2005, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Fatma peeked out the window of her Mosul home and saw masked men lobbing mortars at a nearby Iraqi army base for the third time. She decided it would be the last.

As she telephoned to report the men, Fatma became one of an increasing number of Iraqis tipping off the authorities. Officials say it's a sign the country's fledgling security forces are winning the trust of citizens, turning them against the insurgency.

U.S. and Iraqi officials say they have seen an increase in calls in recent weeks, especially after Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, although there were no overall figures available on how many people have offered information. In a sign the phenomenon is gathering momentum, some Iraqis told The Associated Press that when they called in information, they were told others already had reported the same incident.

The growing willingness of Iraqis to cooperate with officials is perhaps also a testimony to the insurgency's own mistakes, which have cost it the sympathy of some. Many say they simply are tired of violence that has overshadowed their lives or claimed people they love.

"How can an Iraqi kill another Iraqi, can a brother kill his brother? I cannot let that be," said Fatma, a 26-year-old housewife who asked that only her first name be used for fear of attacks against informants. "At first, I used to think of them as holy fighters. But after what we've been seeing on television, it became clear they were terrorists."

Like many others, Fatma said she was influenced in part by television broadcasts featuring the confessions of alleged insurgents.