Could Awakening Fighters Rejoin Insurgency? -- IWPR
There are concerns that some Awakening Council members may return to the ranks of al-Qaeda if Baghdad fails them.
As American forces hand back control of the largely Sunni militia forces known as the Awakening (al-Sahwa) Councils to the Shia-led government, there are fears that sectarian rivalries could prompt some members of these groups to rejoin the insurgency.
With violence in Iraq at a four-year low, and United States troops gradually preparing to withdraw, power relations are changing. The United States-financed Awakening Councils, sometimes called the Sons of Iraq, who have been credited with playing a major role in battling al-Qaeda, are to be taken over by the Iraqi authorities.
The government says it will now foot the bill for the 100,000 al-Sahwa members – four-fifths of whom are Sunni – but there are serious doubts over its commitment.
Rea
As American forces hand back control of the largely Sunni militia forces known as the Awakening (al-Sahwa) Councils to the Shia-led government, there are fears that sectarian rivalries could prompt some members of these groups to rejoin the insurgency.
With violence in Iraq at a four-year low, and United States troops gradually preparing to withdraw, power relations are changing. The United States-financed Awakening Councils, sometimes called the Sons of Iraq, who have been credited with playing a major role in battling al-Qaeda, are to be taken over by the Iraqi authorities.
The government says it will now foot the bill for the 100,000 al-Sahwa members – four-fifths of whom are Sunni – but there are serious doubts over its commitment.
Rea
With violence in Iraq at a four-year low, and United States troops gradually preparing to withdraw, power relations are changing. The United States-financed Awakening Councils, sometimes called the Sons of Iraq, who have been credited with playing a major role in battling al-Qaeda, are to be taken over by the Iraqi authorities.
The government says it will now foot the bill for the 100,000 al-Sahwa members – four-fifths of whom are Sunni – but there are serious doubts over its commitment.
Read more ....
My Comment: With U.S. forces preparing to leave, the Shiite led government will feel free to pursue policies that favor their ethnic and religious groups. Funding 100,000 ex-Sunni fighters will be on the bottom on their list of priorities. I expect trouble .... but only when the Americans are gone.
The government says it will now foot the bill for the 100,000 al-Sahwa members – four-fifths of whom are Sunni – but there are serious doubts over its commitment.
Read more ....
My Comment: With U.S. forces preparing to leave, the Shiite led government will feel free to pursue policies that favor their ethnic and religious groups. Funding 100,000 ex-Sunni fighters will be on the bottom on their list of priorities. I expect trouble .... but only when the Americans are gone.