January 5, 2008

Al-Maliki says he supports Sunni groups, will absorb many in security forces

Just as we hear that an "insurgent infiltrator" has murdered two American soldiers, we hear that Al-Maliki wants to create the context for it to happen more often. Unless you think that fighting against Al-Qaeda guarantees that these guys will love and work with the Americans. From The Associated Press (thanks to Jeffrey Imm):

BAGHDAD: The government will continue to support U.S.-backed Sunni Arab groups that have joined the fight against al-Qaida and will integrate a "large number" of them in the security forces, according to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The comments, in an interview published Saturday in the London-based Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat, constituted the strongest public support to date by the Shiite al-Maliki of the Sunni groups that switched sides last year and now number more than 70,000.

They came two days after another top Shiite leader, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, voiced support for the role played by the groups in the fight against al-Qaida.