Awakening Councils have part to play

The latest series of blasts that ripped through Iraq, especially Baghdad, stirred memories of the bloody violence that has prevailed in Iraq in recent years.

The blasts also highlighted the need to review the performance of the Iraqi security forces. Despite recent improvements and the large size of its security apparatus, the government cannot properly protect its citizens.

The violence witnessed recently contradicts the optimistic picture painted by Iraqi and US officials, who state that the country is on the path to stability, and that the Al Qaida terrorist organisation is on its last legs.

These officials have forgotten, or have chosen to ignore the fact that, since the downfall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003, the violence in the country has been perpetrated by several different groups.

It is also not clear that all of the parties responsible for the death and destruction have been identified. Iraqi officials have not revealed the outcome of their investigations into major terrorist operations and the people have not witnessed trials in which anyone has been found guilty.

The political aim of the recent attacks is to undermine the national reconciliation process, which is being driven by several parties. The most prominent calls for this process have come from US President Barack Obama, the Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.

Some significant players in the political process do not want the political reconciliation process to succeed, for a variety of reasons - some of which have to do with their interests and the gains they have achieved.

There are also other groups that play an important part in the Iraqi political scene that have their own agendas regarding regional interests. These groups regard Iraqi political reconciliation as detrimental to their goals.

On the face of it, the recent blasts succeeded in sending a message that brought about quick results. Several prominent Iraqi officials went back on statements they had previously made, calling for political reconciliation and for the elimination of red tape that had prevented different parties in the political process from interacting with each other.

Those opposed to the national reconciliation process also used the attacks to support their view that rapprochement is ill advised.

The deterioration in the security situation comes at a time when the US forces are on the verge of leaving Iraqi cities, and the legislative elections are in sight. It also coincides with attempts to do away with the 'Awakening Councils', which is a major source of concern. The establishment of the councils - coalitions formed between tribal forces to fight terrorism - served the Iraqi government well, at a time when the country seemed headed towards a bottomless abyss.

The councils were strongly backed by the US, and former president George W. Bush paid a special visit to Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, the leader of the first awakening council, in Anbar province. Abu Risha was later assassinated after laying down the council's foundations, which assisted the Iraqi government in the fight against terrorism.

Today, Iraqis are following with great interest and astonishment the detention and execution of some of the Awakening Councils' leaders.

This phenomenon cannot be looked at in isolation from other searing issues in Iraq. It is a fact that it would suit some of the country's neighbours for Iraq to remain weak, fragile and fractured. Doing away with the Awakening Councils might help to ensure this.

Council members are losing their lives as a result of suicide attacks. These are frequently blamed on Al Qaida, as there is a deep animosity between the two organisations.

The situation is not helped by the fact that the Iraqi government frequently delays payment of council members' salaries. Worse, council leaders are frequently detained, accused of terrorism and put on trial. The councils are also routinely accused of being infiltrated by Al Qaida or members of the former Baathist regime.

All this has led to the Awakening Councils abandoning the check points that have been assigned to them.

In all truth, some of the allegations against the councils are well founded, as some have been infiltrated by Al Qaida and other groups. However, this is hardly unusual in Iraq, where several government departments have also been infiltrated. Recently, the Ministry of the Interior sacked more than 60,000 of its employees because it suspected that they had mixed loyalties.

At this very delicate time, it is not wise for the government to sever its links with the Awakening Councils. The councils were founded on tribal concepts and traditions that call for the protection of the land and its inhabitants. Initially, they did not fall under the government's purview, as they operated with the support and protection of the US forces in Iraq, who also paid their salaries.

However, the US has now handed over responsibility for the oversight of the councils to the Iraqi government. The legal status of the councils is somewhat ambiguous, and some of the country's leaders see the groups' existence as an indictment of the official security forces.

Should stability and security be restored in Iraq, dismantling these councils will be the only way to go. However, the recent attacks have shown that time has not arrived yet.

Dr Mohammad Akef Jamal is an Iraqi writer based in Dubai.