Assassinations targeting officials in Anbar province in western Iraq are increasing to a terrifying rate. The al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has claimed responsibility for the majority of the killings.

The operations now being carried out by al-Qaeda seem more organized and more violent than those of the past. Over the past two months, al-Qaeda-affiliated groups have killed officers and district directors and threatened to kill security forces if they continue to serve in the ranks of the army and police. In addition, they have carried out car bombings and raids against government headquarters.

This deterioration in the security situation comes amid an escalation of the disputes between Anbar protesters in the so-called "Glory and Dignity" squares and the central government in Baghdad that have been going on for more than a year. The government in Baghdad accuses the protesters of harboring fugitive al-Qaeda leaders, yet the protesters deny these claims. Meanwhile, the protesters accuse Baghdad of ignoring the "legitimate" demands they have been calling for for over a year.

On Dec. 11, the Anbar provincial council called on protesters to remove tents from the sit-ins "to prevent the issue from being exploited politically, in light of the approaching elections." The council also asked protesters to postpone sit-ins until after the parliamentary elections. However, the protesters rejected these calls and declared the formation of the "Glory and Dignity Army" with the blessing of the grand mufti of Iraq.