As U.S. military departs Iraq, new Sunni militias spring up

Special to WorldTribune.com

BAGHDAD — New militias have emerged in wake of the U.S. withdrawal
from Iraq.

Security sources said a spate of militias were formed in western
and northern Iraq in late 2011 amid the last stage of the U.S. pullout. They
said the militias were mostly comprised of Sunni Arabs and believed
supported by elements within Gulf Cooperation Council states.

Iraqi security forces inspect damage said caused by a car bomb in the Karrada neighborhood in Baghdad on Dec. 22. /AP/Hadi Mizban

“In just about every Sunni area vacated by the Americans, new militias have sprouted,” a security source said.

[On Dec. 22, at least 57 people were killed in a series of bombings in Baghdad. Officials said the rush-hour attacks appeared to be coordinated and were the deadliest since August.]

The sources said the militias began operations in the provinces
of Anbar, Diyala and Mosul. They said the Sunni armed groups were acquiring weapons and munitions from outside Iraq and took advantage of the absence of central government control over large parts of the country.

The appearance of the militias was reported as Sunni tribes were
fighting for control over large parts of Anbar and Mosul. The sources said some of the militias were believed aligned with blocs in parliament, dominated by the Shi’ites.

“Because of political differences, there is a possibility of new
violence,” parliamentarian Ali Muhsen Al Tamimi said. “These differences
could also prompt terrorist groups to attack innocent people.”

The sources said some of the Sunni militias marked cooperation between
Al Qaida and the former Baath Party. They said Iraqi security agencies must
embark on a concerted effort to identify and track the new insurgency cells.

“These terrorist groups are trying to deliver a message to the public
that the security situation is still fragile,” Al Tamimi said.

The link to insurgency groups was said to have reached high within the
Iraqi government. On Dec. 19, authorities issued a warrant for the arrest of
Vice President Tareq Hashemi, a Sunni, accused of ties to a series of
bombings and assassinations. Hashemi has fled to the autonomous province of
Kurdistan.

“An arrest warrant was issued for Vice President Tareq Hashemi according
to Article 4 of the terrorism law and is signed by five judges,” Interior
Ministry spokesman Adel Daham said. “This warrant should be executed.”

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