According to the Sadrist-affiliated Al-Kufa News Agency, representatives from the Sadrist Bloc are calling for the vetting the Awakening Councils, a largely Sunni citizen patrol force, including former insurgents, who many believe have played a key role in combating Al-Qaeda's presence in Iraq. This NY Times piece provides an informative breakdown of the Awakening by region.
The Sadrist Movement's apparent concerns come as the US is looking to turn over the control of the Awakening Councils to the authority of the Iraqi government.
Baha’ al-‘Araji, a key Sadrist parliamentarian, claims that it is widely known that the Awakening has been penetrated by Ba’athists, Saddam loyalists, and even Takfiris (radical salafists). Al-‘Araji goes on to assert that there are even some who are using the Awakening as a cover for ‘criminal foreign agendas’. For these reasons, he believes the Awakening should be screened before its members are officially integrated into the Iraqi security establishment.
Last week during Friday prayers a Sadrist speaker rejected the integration of the Awakening into the Iraq security services, according to Roads to Iraq.
In the case of any broader internal conflict, would the largely Sunni Awaking Councils become a formidable adversary to the Sadrists Mahdi militia? Is this perhaps the real cause for concern of the Sadrists today, especially if the Awakening Councils become a force officially endorsed by the Iraqi government?
