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REUTERSPIC
against America’s enemies. dominated by Shi’ite and Kurds, council members to change al-
Once, they fought against the of containing many former Baa- legiances once again. The Sunni
occupying troops; when they thists and insurgents who cannot
switched sides, they were brought be trusted. The original backlash
on to the US army payroll. But against Al Qaeda in overwhelm-
now their paymasters are leav- ingly Sunni Anbar province and If we want a unified Iraq, we must work in that
ing, and so the members of the in Sunni strongholds in and direction, on uniting Sunnis and Shi’ites, to build
Awakening Councils will lose the around Baghdad was largely one country.”
protection of the American Flag. spontaneous. – Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha,
Some 250 of the lightly armed But the US forces swiftly
council fighters, also known as Leader of Iraq’s Awakening Councils
gave full backing and pay to the
Al Sahwa, or the Sons of Iraq, Awakening Councils, a move
were milling around outside an only grudgingly supported by the
Iraqi army base in the town of Iraqi security forces. community to which they belong Awakening Council, leads a
Jbala, 56km south of Baghdad, With US soldiers due to has been seriously weakened. It political party drawn from the
waiting to collect their pay when leave on June 30 under a Status makes up 20% of the Iraqi popu- Awakening movement. He says
the bomber struck on Saturday. of Forces Agreement signed lation; the Shi’ites make up 60%. he is renouncing armed struggle
The latest attack shows Al between Iraq and the US last As a result of sectarian cleansing, and is prepared to work with
Qaeda, while weaker than it was year, many Sunni Arabs and Baghdad is now overwhelmingly Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
in 2005-07 at the height of the Awakening Councils members Shi’ite. Sunni Iraqis who fled to “If we want a unified Iraq, we
Sunni-Shi’ite civil war, still has believe the government will Jordan and Syria have often not must work in that direction, on
the ability to recruit, equip and move against them. Last October returned and, when they do, not uniting Sunnis and Shi’ites, to
target suicide bombers in central the government agreed to pay the to their old homes. build one country,” he said.
and northern Iraq. Last Friday a Awakening Councils members, The councils are also Whether Sheikh Ahmed’s
truck loaded with 900kg of explo- but their salaries often arrive late disunited. In some areas they are goal can be achieved remains
sives crashed into the entrance and sometimes not at all. fighting the government but in to be seen. From their bases in
of the main military base in the The government has also others they want a share in state Mosul and Baquaba, Al Qaeda
northern city of Mosul, killing five been averse to giving the para- authority and patronage. remains a force to be reckoned
US soldiers and two members of militaries the influential jobs in In Ramadi, the capital of An- with. And for the members of the
the Iraqi security forces. the security services which they bar, Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, councils, that is a more frighten-
The Awakening Councils, have demanded. Many Awaken- whose brother, later assassinated ing prospect than ever. – The
whose emergence at the end of ing Councils leaders and mem- by Al Qaeda, started the first Independent