Monday, November 12, 2007
All is not as it appears
A simple statement that well describes the actual state of Sunni recruitment against al-Qaeda in Iraq. The US Army has not yet organized all those who have signed for their $300 a month plus training & equipment. The Iraqi government deeply mistrusts anything Sunni. And despite having "eaten the king's salt", their loyalty may be as temporary as a Republican's promise.
Iraqi officials are concerned about the past behavior of many of the men now working with the Americans, citing problems arising from the infiltration of the police by Shiite militias. "We ended up with a police force that is not loyal to the government and to the country," said Sami al-Askiri, a Shiite legislator and Maliki adviser. "If we copy this and do it with Sunnis, we will just create another problem."The strength of the program will be severely tested as it expands into areas populated by Sunni and Shia. Perhaps the reduced violence is only a lull as various factions reorganize and re-equip for the next effort, with our help.
"We have to take the Sunnis inside the police and the army. They are part of the Iraqi society, but we have to check them, we have to check all their backgrounds," Askiri said. "If we do this the wrong way, we will end up with another militia inside the police force, but a Sunni one, not a Shiite one."
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
Post a Comment