Directory enquiries beachwaver pro video A surge in sectarian violence in recent months has heightened fears that Iraq is becoming a new battlefield, nearly two years after U.S. forces withdrew from the country. A period of calm after the pullout had raised hopes for a measure of normalcy in Iraq, but tensions have spiked amid Sunni anger over perceived mistreatment from the Shiite-led government. More than 4,500 people have been killed since April.