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| Iraq |
| In Iraq, Sunnis back to being Sunnis |
| 2008-02-29 |
| U.S.-backed Sunni volunteer forces, which have played a vital role in reducing violence in Iraq, are increasingly frustrated with the American military and the Iraqi government over what they see as a lack of recognition of their growing political clout and insufficient U.S. support. Since Feb. 8, thousands of fighters in restive Diyala province have left their posts in order to pressure the government and its American backers to replace the province's Shiite police chief. On Wednesday, their leaders warned that they would disband completely if their demands were not met. In Babil province, south of Baghdad, fighters have refused to man their checkpoints after U.S. soldiers killed several comrades in mid-February in circumstances that remain in dispute. Some force leaders and ground commanders also reject a U.S.-initiated plan that they say offers too few Sunni fighters the opportunity to join Iraq's army and police, and warn that low salaries and late payments are pushing experienced members to quit. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #3 1. awakening councils are a good idea, but need to be funded. Of course these guys wont get all they ask for, which is why its logical for them to ask for more than they think they need - this is the land of rug dealing, an art many folks in the Pentagon are deeply familiar with, even if under different names 2. This provinicial election thing is a big deal in mixed provinces like Diyala, where the provincial govt is all Shia and yet we are appealing to Sunnis. Hopefully that gets worked out soon. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-02-29 09:33 |
| #2 The WaPo came out with the same article yesterday. It is written by their bureau chief, Sudarsan Raghavan, who consistently has insisted from the very moment he became bureau chief, that Iraq is lost and descending into chaos. His cred is somewhere between Harry Reid and Cindy Sheehan. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-02-29 08:32 |
| #1 their monthly salary was no longer worth the risk of fighting al-Qaeda Translation: Al Quaeda raised their pay scale to meet the market demands. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-02-29 07:10 |