http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD8TLQK4O1
Iraq: Shiite Cautions on 'Awakening' By HAMID AHMED - 3 hours ago BAGHDAD (AP) - The leader of the largest Shiite political party in Iraq told about 5,000 faithful who gathered for Islamic holy day prayers that U.S.-backed anti-al-Qaida groups - mostly comprised of Sunnis - should be on the side of government forces and not try to replace them. Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, told worshippers gathered for for Eid al-Adha near his office in southwest Baghdad that the so-called "awakening" groups, many of whom once fought against U.S. forces but have since turned their guns on extremists, must side with the government. "I stress the necessity of having the awakening councils be on the side of the government in chasing terrorists and criminals, but not be a substitute for it," al-Hakim said. "Weapons should be within the hands of the government only." He went on to say that the groups should be active in areas where there is still much fighting - such as volatile Diyala province - but that they should stand down in areas where Sunnis and Shiites live side-by-side, fearing the Sunni factions will stir up sectarian strife. Iraq's Shiite-led government has been deeply suspicious of the tribal militias, fearing that they could turn against Iraqi security forces in the future. Despite U.S. calls to integrate the fighters into the mainstream army, the Iraqi government has been reluctant to do so, only approving about 6 percent of the current 60,000 volunteer militiamen around the country for jobs in the Iraqi security forces. Most are on the U.S. military payroll, receiving an average of $300 a month, though the Iraqi government has said it will begin paying them at an unspecified future date. In early December, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the chief Iraqi military spokesman, signaled that the Shiite government might be slowly warming to the awakening groups, praising them for helping reduce violence in Iraq, which officials say has dropped by nearly 60 percent in the last six months. Al-Hakim has been blasted by his opponents - mostly followers of the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr - for his November visit with President Bush in Washington and his relatively close ties with the Americans. He also told worshippers Friday that the recently extended U.N. mandate for U.S.-led forces in Iraq had to be final, and that Iraq had to reach a successful bilateral pact with the U.S. to "secure Iraqis' rights in all aspects and accomplish total sovereignty." Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki signed a "declaration of principles" on Nov. 26 that set the foundation for a potential long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq and confirmed that Washington and Baghdad will hash out an "enduring" relationship. The agreement will replace the U.N. mandate regulating the presence of the U.S.-led forces in Iraq that has been extended on a yearly basis. Also Friday, UNICEF said in a report that children were frequently caught in the crossfire of fighting in Iraq during the past year, and an estimated 2 million still face threats, including disease and poor nutrition. The U.N. organization said in a statement that hundreds of children were killed or injured "and many more had their main family wage-earner kidnapped or killed" in the past year. An average of 25,000 children were displaced to other parts of Iraq each month through violence or intimidation and by the end of 2007 about 75,000 children were living in temporary shelters or camps, it said. According to UNICEF, about 1,350 children were detained by authorities in 2007, "many for alleged security violations." But the improving security situation in the country could provide an opportunity for aid agencies to provide some relief. "Iraqi children are paying far too high a price," said Roger Wright, UNICEF's representative for Iraq. While UNICEF has "been providing as much assistance as possible, a new window of opportunity is opening. We must act now," Wright said. UNICEF said it invested more than $40 million in 2007 to help conduct immunization campaigns, inoculating more than 3 million children against measles, mumps and rubella, and more than 4 million against polio. The agency said that as security improved, children's needs would become clearer, and it called for more funds. "Meeting the needs of Iraq's children in 2008 depends, to a great extent, on sufficient financial resources being made available," UNICEF said in its statement. "Children can and should be the priority for international investment in Iraq." In violence on Friday, a gunman attacked a family in a Shiite section of volatile Diyala province near Balad Ruz, 45 miles northeast of Baghdad, killing two men and kidnapping a third, police said. Just east of Baqouba, the capital of Diyala, two men standing in front of their house were killed by unknown armed men. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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