Faleh al-Dulami, a spokesman for the group, said the opening of the office foreshadows several others pending in Fallujah following the March 10 approval of a headquarters for the group by councilmen from the area.

Ahmed Abu Risha, the leader of the Awakening Councils, a Sunni group overseeing the militia, attended the ceremony with several Fallujah representatives and government officials, Voices of Iraq said.

The brother of Abu Risha, Abdul Sattar Abu Risha" title="Topic: Abdul Sattar Abu Risha" class="tpstyle">Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, established the Awakening Councils to drive al-Qaida operatives out of Anbar province. Abdul Sattar was assassinated Sept. 13, and Ahmed was quickly nominated as the chief of the councils.

Meanwhile, further north in Kirkuk, the Awakening militias with the cooperation of Iraqi police units apprehended an apparent suicide bomber before he could detonate his explosive vest, the U.S. military reported.

In Hillah south of Baghdad, an Iraqi special forces unit arrested 20 suspects thought to be behind a ring of smugglers bringing cars through Basra. The raid netted two vehicles, several weapons and $262,000 in U.S. currency.