Confusion over Sunni role in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Media reports touting the role of the Awakening councils in the fight against al-Qaida point to confusion over sectarian distinctions in Iraq, a study shows.

Several media outlets use the term Awakening councils and Sons of Iraq interchangeably, whereas the former is a Sunni tribal political entity and the latter a U.S.-backed paramilitary force, a report by The Foundation for Defense of Democracies notes.

The Anbar Awakening, the report highlights, formed in 2006 under the leadership of Abdul Sattar Abu Risha to establish an emergency provincial government after al-Qaida had disabled much of the leadership there.

He was assassinated in late 2007, and his brother, Ahmed Abu Risha, assumed leadership of the Awakening councils. The Awakening did not form an official provincial government; however, it has maintained a working relationship with Baghdad.

The Sons of Iraq, by contrast, are paramilitary forces financed by the American military to man checkpoints and carry out local police details. While an effort has been made to incorporate the Sons of Iraq into Iraqi national forces, the group does not have an official relationship with the Iraqi government.

As Iraq prepares for provincial elections, with many analysts viewing a broader Sunni participation than in 2005, understanding a distinction between the various groups in Iraq is key to assessing the dynamics of the political situation in the nation, the report said.