Iraq to Reinstate Sahwa Forces
The Iraqi government is trying to revive the Awakening Movement — the Sahwa forces — among Sunni tribes to combat the rise in terrorism.
The Iraqi government is inclined toward reviving the tribal Sahwa forces, established by the US military in 2006.
This move was an attempt to halt the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq to using the “specific opponent” theory, which contributed to the expulsion of al-Qaeda from Sunni regions in 2008.
Amer al-Khuzai, adviser to the Iraqi prime minister for national reconciliation affairs, affirmed, “The Sahwa forces have scored many victories against al-Qaeda. Based on this, we have thought about reforming them, especially given that [al-Qaeda] began to restore activities in light of [the eruption of] protests.
“The new forces will be more organized and will receive more training. They will include a specific age group, not exceeding 40 years of age,” Khuzai added.
