U.S. concerned about Sunni revolt against Maliki government in Iraq
Friday, March 21, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military is seeking to reconcile Sunni opposition to the government of the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. Many Sunni tribes have been boycotting the Al Maliki government amid complaints that it was focusing attention on the majority Shi'ite community.
"Unless the Iraqi Shiite-led government and the U.S. Army intervene effectively to solve this situation, this tension might turn into a Sunni-Sunni civil war," Fadhil Ali, an Iraqi analyst, said in a report for the Jamestown Foundation.
The Sunni unrest has been greatest in Anbar, the largest province in Iraq. Sunni factions have demanded the expulsion of the Iraqi Islamic Party from Anbar, Middle East Newsline reported. The party is the largest Sunni political movement and a member of Al Maliki's coalition.
The U.S. military has become increasingly reliant on the Sunni tribes in Anbar. The tribes have been responsible for the formation of the Iraqi auxiliary police force, termed Awakening Councils.
The Sunni unrest was reported as Al Qaida has sought to return to Anbar after being expelled from the province in 2007. The U.S. military has been paying tens of thousands of Sunnis to locate and target Al Qaida agents and strongholds in Anbar.
Sheik Ahmed Abu Risha, part of the Duleimi tribe that dominates Anbar, was deemed a top tribal figure. Ali Hatam Al Suleiman and Hamid Farhan Al Hayis were also identified as key tribal leaders.
The dispute between the tribal leaders and IIP erupted in February when the Iraqi parliament passed the provincial election law. The tribal leaders, expecting an election within months, protested the law and IIP's control of government posts as well as the electoral commission.
The sheiks gave IIP 30 days to leave Anbar. In response, the Council of Judiciary issued an arrest warrant against Al Hayis and Al Suleiman. Abu Risha has sought to avoid the showdown.
Analysts said the confrontation could lead to war within the Sunni community. They said this would enable the return of Al Qaida in Anbar.
"The deterioration at any level of the security situation in Al Anbar gives a precious opportunity to Al Qaida in Iraq to regain its bases in the province and overturn the gains of the so far successful surge strategy," Ali said.