Region | Iraq
Home of pro-US group leader raided by Iraqi forces
Iraqi security forces raided the home of a provincial leader of US-backed patrols on Tuesday, an incident that could raise tension at a time when the Baghdad government is taking over the programme from the US military.
- Agencies
- Published: 13:57 October 21, 2008
vBaghdad: Iraqi security forces raided the home of a provincial leader of US-backed patrols on Tuesday, an incident that could raise tension at a time when the Baghdad government is taking over the programme from the US military.
Mullah Shihab Al Safi, leader of the "Awakening" movement for the volatile Diyala province north of Baghdad, told reporters that troops had raided his house before dawn, arresting his brother and father, in Buhriz, south of the provincial capital Baquba.
Safi said by telephone he was not at home at the time and was now moving from place to place to avoid capture.
The Awakening groups are made up mostly of Sunni Arabs and include many former insurgents who battled US forces and the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad but since have been recruited and paid by the US military to run neighbourhood patrols.
The Iraqi government has been taking over the programme from the US military, beginning this month in Baghdad and spreading to other provinces in coming months.
Officials say they will incorporate 20 percent of the patrol members into the army and police while finding civilian jobs or training for the rest.
But many Awakening leaders say they fear mass arrests from a government that remains hostile to them.
"They have been arresting the leaders for a while. The government are going back on their promises," Safi said.
News Editor's choice
-
Kuwait condemns Houla massacre
Arab League urged to put end to oppression of Syrian people
-
Road crashes main cause of child death in UAE
Death rate among children in car accidents in the UAE is three times higher than global average
-
Last minute ID rush is on
Expatriates in Dubai have thronged typing centres and Emirates ID registration offices to meet the May 31 registration deadline
