Iraqi troops order armed Sunni group in Baghdad neighborhood to disarm after deadly gunbattles

[steven johnson]

Source: Chicago Tribune

SINAN SALAHEDDIN | Associated Press Writer
6:49 AM CDT, March 29, 2009
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi troops using loudspeakers ordered members of an armed Sunni neighborhood group in Baghdad to turn in their weapons Sunday after the arrest of their leader sparked fierce gunbattles with American and Iraqi troops.

The two-day standoff in Fadhil, a ramshackle Sunni enclave on the east bank of the Tigris River where al-Qaida once held sway, appeared to die down temporarily by midday as convoys of U.S. and Iraqi rolled into the neighborhood. But the confrontation threatens to undermine U.S. efforts to stabilize Baghdad before American troops pull out of Iraqi cities by the end of June.

The confrontation is important and potentially explosive because the Awakening Councils, also known as Sons of Iraq, are Sunni security volunteers who broke with al-Qaida and joined forces with the Americans — helping to lead to the calm in Baghdad the last year.

The councils help man checkpoints and guard neighborhoods, playing a major role in turning the tide against the Sunni insurgency.



Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-ml-iraq,0,4847587.story

---

Looks like the Anbar Awakening is breaking down. I'd guess we'd better send Rambo Bush over there to shoot it out.

[steven johnson]

1. Iraq orders Sunni gunmen in Baghdad area to disarm

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN Associated Press Writer © 2009 The Associated Press
March 29, 2009, 7:50AM
BAGHDAD — Iraqi troops using loudspeakers ordered members of an armed Sunni neighborhood group in Baghdad to turn in their weapons Sunday after the arrest of their leader sparked fierce gunbattles with American and Iraqi troops.

The confrontation is important and potentially explosive because the Awakening Councils, also known as Sons of Iraq, are Sunni security volunteers who broke with al-Qaida and joined forces with the Americans — helping to lead to the calm in Baghdad the last year.

But despite the volunteers' role in helping reduce violence in Iraq, Shiite political leaders have never fully trusted the Awakening Councils since many of them are ex-insurgents.

Some Awakening Council leaders expressed fear that Saturday's arrest could signal a crackdown on them by the Shiite-led government — a move that could send many volunteers back to the ranks of the insurgents.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/6348471.html

[ohio2007]

2. If the Iraqi police didn't arrest the groups leader for not observing the law

this could have been a non story.
But

they were ordered to disarm originally

[Arctic Dave]

3. Hahahahahahahahaha. Yeah, there really going to lay down

their arms. I'm a little fuzzy in the head, maybe you can help me remember what happened last time they tried to force them to give up their weapons.