U.S. military hands over Anbar, bit by bit

They aren't nearly as advanced in essential systems such as procurement, accounting, maintenance and weapons management, which require well-defined procedures and efficient relations with the Interior Ministry in Baghdad, both prone to breakdowns.

An incident a few weeks ago, in which a police officer killed a civilian at a checkpoint, illustrated the potential for discipline to unravel.

Finding the shooting unjustified, Forsan station commander Col. Mohammed Ali Abdnadi did what he was supposed to do, Hamilton said. He arrested the officer and began an investigation. But members of the victim's tribe, the Alwani, tried to impose a tribal solution. A gang of Alwani police from the north precinct stormed the south precinct headquarters, weapons blazing, to try to snatch the man.

Shooting continued until the Marines got involved, Hamilton said.

The Alwani sheiks then tried to pressure Abdnadi to turn the man over. The Marines intervened. "We made a statement, 'No, this isn't going to happen,' " Hamilton said.

The episode blew over. But could it happen again now that the Marines are leaving Forsan?

Hamilton said he expects his units to be entirely out of the city by the end of his deployment in the fall. But he pointed out that they'll still be nearby in forts outside the city.

"If something happens," he said, "we're in a good position to react."

Doug Smith and Saif Rasheed write for the Los Angeles Times.