Sons of Iraq concern analysts

BAGHDAD, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Political divisions between the Sunni Awakening Councils and the Shiite government in Baghdad may provoke skirmishes among former collaborators, analysts say.

There are plans to hand over the Sunni paramilitary force Sons of Iraq to Iraqi authorities in October. The group emerged in 2006 from the Anbar Awakening, which turned tribal leaders in the western province against elements of al-Qaida.

U.S. officials have credited the Sons of Iraq with improving the security situation, and there are intentions to incorporate roughly 20 percent of its members into national security forces, but Iraqi authorities may have other ideas, says an analysis by World Politics Review.

Analysts say one of the greatest threats to sustaining the relative security gains in Iraq is the integration of the Sons of Iraq into national security forces and the influence Awakening leaders have on the political climate there.

"(Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki) has no interest in integrating these guys," says Colin Kahl with the Center for a New American Security. "He thinks they're thugs."

Meanwhile, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the central government needed to examine members of the Sons of Iraq in order to determine their capability and allegiance.

Dabbagh said the slow process of integration was a part of the vetting process and warned that any elements within the Sunni force who turn to violence against the government would be dealt with accordingly.