Al Sahwa was founded in 2006 as a Sunni force meant to track and defeat
Al Qaida. With massive recruitment from Sunni tribes, Al Sahwa decimated the
Al Qaida presence in Anbar, the largest province in Iraq.
"It was a movement that allowed us to chase Al Qaida out of Anbar
province, so it was supported by the government and the Iraqi people," Iraqi
Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi said. "Without Sahwa, it would have been
very hard to get rid of Al Qaida."
Officials said Interior Ministry has decided to reduce the ratio of
Sahwa members recruited into the security forces. They said the ministry,
pressed by the U.S. military had originally agreed to accept more than 30
percent of
Sunni auxiliary officers into the military and police.
But the ministry has determined that a significant portion of Sahwa was
influenced by Al Qaida and elements of the former Saddam Hussein regime.
Officials said thousands of Sahwa members were believed to have been Saddam
agents who joined the U.S.-led effort against Al Qaida in exchange for
salaries and weapons.
"We agreed to integrate tens of thousands of Sahwa members in the armed
forces, but certain groups took up the Sahwa banner, in Baghdad and
elsewhere, even some terrorist groups," Abdul Mahdi told a briefing.
"Sometimes we can't distinguish between the two — the original Sahwa and
the false Sahwa. The bogus Sahwa is comprised of those groups that have been
waiting for the right moment to strike."
Officials said rogue elements within Al Sahwa were believed to have
facilitated suicide bombings in Baghdad and Mosul. Over the last month,
scores of Sahwa officers have been arrested on charges of being linked to Al
Qaida.
"That's why there have been arrests when we discovered their links
to other terrorist groups," Abdul Mahdi said. "But the original Sahwa is a
true movement that allowed us to restore order in the country."
