Some of the Iraqi former insurgents recruited by US forces to fight Al-Qaeda are simply biding their time and waiting for a chance to resume attacks, Vice President Adel Abdel Mahdi warned Tuesday.
Abdel Mahdi's comments came amid tension between Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government and the Sahwa, or "Awakening Movement" of militias and former insurgents who switched sides to fight alongside the Americans.
Much of the improvement in security in Iraq over the past two years has been attributed to the insurgents' decision to change sides, and any breakdown in their relations with Baghdad would be of serious concern for US commanders.
The recruits are now paid by the Iraqi government, and many thousands are being integrated into the Iraqi security forces, but clashes flared recently with government troops after a series of arrests of Sahwa leaders.
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"It was a movement that allowed us to chase Al-Qaeda out of Anbar Province, so it was supported by the government and the Iraqi people. Without the Sahwa it would have been very hard to get rid of Al-Qaeda," Abdel Mahdi said.
"We agreed to integrate tens of thousands of Sahwa members in the armed forces, but certain groups took up the Sahwa banner, in Baghdad and elsewhere, even some terrorist groups," he told reporters during a visit to Paris.
