Sahwa councils part of national reconciliation – VP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on Monday said that the Sahwa (awakening) project is part of the national reconciliation file, urging to integrate Sahwa elements into the government’s institutions, according to a statement of his office. “Al-Hashemi received at his office in Baghdad on Monday (April 20) a delegation of al-Janebien tribe in south of Baghdad,” said the statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “The vice president said that the Sahwa councils project contribute toward strengthening security and stability in Iraq,” it added. “The delegation updated al-Hashemi with the security situation and the services level in the region,” the statement said. “Al-Hashemi promised to fulfill the delegation’s demands and solve the problems it raised,” it said. The Sahwa councils are anti-Qaeda fighters working in coordination with the Multi-National Force (MNF) and the Iraqi government. Headed by local chieftains, the councils have been credited with helping reduce violence in many Iraqi provinces, like Anbar, Diala, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din. SH (P)/SR 1