Shiites, fearing ulterior motives, impede Sunnis
BAGHDAD — The Shiite-led government is cracking down on U. S.-backed Sunni Arab fighters in one of Iraq’s most turbulent regions, arresting some leaders, disarming dozens of men and banning them from manning checkpoints except alongside official forces.
The moves in Diyala province reflect mixed views on a movement that began in 2007 among Sunni tribes in western Iraq who revolted against al- Qaida in Iraq and joined the Americans in the fight against the terrorist network.
U. S. officials credit the rise of such groups, known variously as Awakening Councils, Sons of Iraq and Popular Committees, with helping rout al-Qaida.
But Iraq’s government is suspicious of the groups, fearing their decision to break with the insurgency was a tactic to gain U. S. money and support. The government fears they will eventually turn their guns against the majority Shiites.
The effort in Diyala, northeast of Baghdad, began last month as U. S. and Iraqi forces launched an operation against al-Qaida and extremists there.
Mullah Shihab al-Safi, commander of Sunni fighters in Diyala, told the Associated Press that many senior leaders of his group had been detained and fighters evicted from their offices. He gave no figures.
A top Iraqi official with access to classified information said authorities were especially suspicious of the Diyala groups because many of their estimated 14,000 fighters had been members of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Meanwhile, masked gunmen ambushed a bus carrying election workers near the southern city of Basra on Monday, killing two.
Also Monday, a suicide car bomber blasted a police checkpoint in the western city of Ramadi, killing seven policemen, an official said.
