Anbar transfer exposes sectarian strife

RAMADI, Iraq, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. military handover of the Sunni Anbar province was hailed as a milestone, but the underlying sectarian conflict in Iraq could erase those gains.

Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie and U.S. President George Bush praised the handover as evidence the U.S. "surge" had led to sharp reductions in ethno-sectarian conflict, generating the conditions for improvements in the Iraqi political and security infrastructure.

Tribal leaders in Sunni Awakening Councils in Anbar province, however, warned the region "could be turned into another battlefield of sectarian forces," Egypt's al-Ahram Weekly reported Friday.

Sheik Ahmed Abu Reesha, the Awakening Council chief, addressed officials gathered at the handover ceremony Tuesday, saying Baghdad accused several of the council members of belonging to the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein.

For his part, Abdul Salam al-Ani, an Anbar provincial councilman and member of the Sunni Islamic Party, blamed the Awakening Council with interfering in political affairs, and many view that position as an indication of fears the Sunni tribal leaders will gain political influence in the coming elections.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials said the Iraqi government in October will take over payments for the Sunni paramilitary force, Sons of Iraq, which derived from the Awakening Councils.

But several Awakening members said they would prefer instead to turn their attention to gaining political momentum.

"We are not interested now in joining the (Iraqi) forces. Instead we will focus on comprehensively changing the circumstances in Anbar by participating fully in the upcoming local elections," said councilman Hamid al-Hayes.