Reconciliation continues in Iraq

NY Times:

The leader of Iraq’s most influential Shiite party offered surprisingly conciliatory remarks on Thursday about the former insurgents and other Sunnis who have banded together into militias to work with American forces, stating that the groups had helped improve security and should be continued.

In a speech in Najaf, the Shiite holy city, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the party that has long been the backbone of the main Shiite political alliance, said a major reason for recent security improvements was not merely a dependence on official security forces but also a reliance on tribal groups and local councils.

“We still believe in continuing this strategy,” said Mr. Hakim, the leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.

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Mr. Hakim’s remarks on Thursday referred to Sunni groups, known as Awakening Councils, which emerged in 2006 in Sunni-dominated western Iraq, and spread to mixed Sunni-Shiite areas around Baghdad last year.

The American-backed groups, with nearly 80,000 members, are credited with routing Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and other extremist militants from many areas and helping to sharply reduce American deaths. Many militia members used to attack American troops, before deciding to join forces with them.

While the rise of these groups has been the most promising development for the American military, the partnership has drawn deep skepticism from the Shiite-dominated central government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. The Shiites fear the Americans have created an armed parallel force that one day could turn against the official Iraqi security forces, which are dominated by Shiites and Kurds. Last month, the government declared that it would eventually disband the groups, though it has said it would integrate some members into the official security forces.

While Mr. Hakim did not say whether the groups should be continued indefinitely, his speech appeared to soften more cautious comments he made just last month, when he warned that the Sunni groups should operate only in the most dangerous areas and should not be seen as a replacement for government forces.

Another top official in Mr. Hakim’s party, Jalal al-Din al-Sagheer, said Thursday in an interview that the party still wanted tight controls on the Sunni militias.

“We support the awakening project, but on the condition that it should not be penetrated by Al Qaeda and that it should not represent just one sect, rather than representing all Iraqis,” he said.

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The chances of these groups being infiltrated by al Qaeda are remote. Right now the remnants of al Qaeda is focusing its efforts on killing these people not working with them. The NY Times still seems to miss the significance of the rejection by the Sunnis of al Qaeda in Iraq. This is a huge strategic defeat for al Qaeda and bin Laden that has him still reeling. The Shia leadership recognizes the strategic importance of this change and their desire to incorporate these groups into a national force should be seen as a positive sign of reconciliation.