Iraq agrees to incorporate volunteer militias

AP/Newsday:

The number of volunteer militiamen helping patrol the Baghdad area should grow nearly fourfold to 45,000 next year and will assume roles under Iraqi military command, a security official said Wednesday.

The comments marked the clearest signal yet that Iraq's Shiite leadership may now be willing to work with the mostly Sunni factions -- praised by the Pentagon as a key ally against extremists such as al-Qaida in Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the chief Iraqi military spokesman in Baghdad, predicted that the volunteer forces could swell to 45,000 next year from the current 12,000 in the Baghdad area. He also cited their contribution in the recent downturn in violence in the capital.

"The reason behind the drop is the good performance of Iraqi security forces, support from Baghdad residents and the backing of U.S. troops," he said.

But the Shiite-led government has been deeply suspicious of the tribal militias, which include former Sunni insurgents who have switched sides. Only about 6 percent of the current 60,000 volunteer militiamen around the country have been approved for jobs in the Iraqi security forces -- a main demand of the groups known as Awakening Councils, Concerned Citizens and other names.

Presently, most are on the U.S. military payroll, receiving an average of $300 a month.

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This is another example of the de facto reconciliation taking place in Iraq. These so called concerned citizen groups have given the US and Iraqi forces the force to space ratio needed to cut off enemy operations and make it difficult for them to maneuver to contact. I saw a report earlier today where al Qaeda has indicated that it is down to 200 foreign fighters in Iraq. This came from a jihadi website. If true, it suggest that they are no longer able to infiltrate fighters into Iraq and that there operation is shrinking. It is further confirmation that the Iraqis have turned against al Qaeda.

It is about time that those who ask why the US is hated in the middle east start asking the same question about al Qaeda. Right now, it appears that we have a lot of Iraqis who liek us and are grateful for helping them get rid of the terrorist.