Iraqi groups 'withdraw' US support

Aljazeera.net
Sunni armed groups known as Awakening Councils appear to have withdrawn their support for US forces and the Iraqi government in Diyala province. The move has been seen as a significant blow to the US, which has hailed the groups' work in securing towns and neighbourhoods as a rare success in increasing security in the country. Meanwhile, the US military announced that five American soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings on Friday. Four of the deaths occurred in Baghdad and one in Tamim province, the US military said in two separate statements on Saturday. The Tamim blast also wounded three soldiers... continua / continued

Eye of the Hurricane of War in Iraq

David Hungerford, Al-Moharer

The Bush administration has changed its strategy in Iraq. Previously the occupation relied on Kurdish and Shiite militias to keep a grip. Now it has added Sunni militias called "Awakening Councils" (al-Sahwa) and Concerned Local Citizens (CLCs) to the mix. It is a fateful step. The change has brought some lessening of attacks on occupation troops. A turn toward Sunni/Shiite/Kurdish partition of Iraq is strongly evident. Nonetheless the change only ratifies the failure of all previous occupation policies. It solves no old problems of the occupation and presents many new ones.... continua / continued