After the United States of America occupied Iraq, it allied with the leaders of the Shiite Iraqis who form the majority of the Iraqi population, to help them form government. Despite of belonging to the minority Sunni community, the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in spite of supporting a coterie of Sunni loyalists, in all honesty did not allow any kind of Sunni dominance in the country. After the 1968, Baath coup that brought Saddam Hussein to power the Sunni Iraqi Islamic party vehemently opposed the secular Baath Party. The Sunni activists were arrested by Saddam’s administration, they were tortured, killed and a large number of them fled Iraq. After Saddam’s fall both the Shia as well the Sunnis stand to gain but traditional rivalry between both the groups have produced severe civil strives between them.
In an effort to reduce violence in the country, US military allied with former Sunni insurgents who have turned against Sunni extremists led by Al-Qaeda to act as volunteers to guard troubled posts. However, the Sunni volunteer forces have become disgruntled with the US army and the Shiite administration for not keeping their promises. The members of what the US military calls the Sons of Iraq or Concerned Local Citizens are working on low salaries with late payments. Very few Sunni men are allowed to join the Iraqi army and the police. To add to their woes the US forces have not given up their battle against the Sunni fighters killing many of them. The disgruntled leaders of the Sons of Iraq have warned the USA military that they will disband soon and will stop fighting the Al-Qaeda insurgents if their demands are not met.
Situation in Iraq is definitely grim and the paradox of US occupation seems to be that it helped to reignite a religious war in the country by overthrowing a secular administration. It is hard to foresee the emergence of a secular Shiite administration that is not influenced by Shiite clerics and is ready to work with Sunni cooperation.
Source: MSNBC
