Officials said CLC, known as Al Sahwa, would disband in 2009, Middle East Newsline reporte. They said
the most of its members would be steered to jobs in the private sector.
The U.S.-led coalition, battling 40 percent unemployment around Baghdad,
has established the Iraqi Civilian Conservation Force. Official said the
Iraqi version of the 1930s-era U.S. program would pave roads, conduct
neighborhood sanitation and improve infrastructure.
"They will accomplish civil works projects as determined by the mayor's
council and the sheiks, and provide a way to earn an honorable living
without resorting to the extremists," Grigsby told a Jan. 18 briefing.
Officials said the conservation force would employ CLC members not
slated to join the police. About 25 percent of CLC officers were expected to
be offered jobs in either the national or local police.
CLC, whose members work on 90-day contracts, has been trained to man
checkpoints, patrol neighborhoods and report suspicious activity. The force,
targeted by Al Qaida, works with the Iraq Army, police and U.S. military.
Officials said Sunnis in the Baghdad area would also be offered
scholarships to vocational schools as well as employment in new businesses.
They said the program would be coordinated with tribal leaders.
"In this country, if you cut the sheiks out, you might as well tell them
to go work for the extremists," Grigsby said. "They have to be part of
this."
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. military commander in Iraq, said
about half of CLC members want to join the police force. Odierno said about
50 percent of those interested would be accepted.
"So what we will do then is put other programs in place, working with
the Iraqi government, to put them to work doing other things, such as civil
service corps operations, such as other job programs, through vo-tech
institutes and other institutes," Odierno said.
