US faces risk of losing loyalty of 'frustrated' Sunni fighters

Baghdad: US-backed Sunni volunteer forces, which have played a vital role in reducing violence in Iraq, are increasingly frustrated with the American military and the Iraqi government over what they see as a lack of recognition of their growing political clout and insufficient US support.

Since February 8, thousands of fighters in Diyala province have left their posts to pressure the government and its American backers to replace the Shiite police chief.

This week, their leaders warned that they would disband completely if their demands were not met. In Babil, fighters have refused to man their checkpoints after US soldiers killed several comrades in mid-February in circumstances that remain in dispute.

Some force leaders also reject a US plan that they say offers too few Sunni fighters the opportunity to join Iraq's army and police, and warn that low salaries and late payments are pushing experienced members to quit.

The predominantly Sunni Awakening forces are made up mostly of former insurgents who have turned against extremists. The US military pays fighters roughly $10 a day (Dh36).

US efforts to manage the fast-growing movement of about 80,000 armed men are still largely effective but in some key areas the control is fraying. The tensions are the most serious since the Awakening was launched in Anbar in late 2006, according to Iraqi officials, US commanders and Awakening leaders.

Some US officials say they are concerned that the Sunni insurgent group Al Qaida in Iraq has infiltrated Awakening forces in some areas.

"Now, there is no cooperation with the Americans," said Haider Mustafa Al Kaisy, an Awakening commander in Baquba, an insurgent stronghold. "We have stopped fighting Al Qaida."

US military says it is seeking to defuse the tensions before the gains are jeopardised. "Despite some of the frustrations, ... they are continuing to volunteer," said Colonel Bill Buckner, a US military spokesman.