20% of Sahwa fighters to be included in security forces

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: An Iraqi government spokesperson on Tuesday revealed plans to include 20 percent of Sahwa council fighters in the security apparatus and to appoint the rest in civil service posts. “The Iraqi government is bound to pay the salaries of all Sahwa fighters as scheduled…,” Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that was published today on his official web site. “A total of 80% of Sahwa members will be appointed in Iraqi ministries and institutions, while 20% will be included in the security forces,” Dabbagh explained. 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. SS (P) 1