Reconciliation

The news-site AlFatehoon reports:

Fatehoon correspondents in Adhamiya, Taji, Tikrit, Baaquba, Ramadi, and Hilla report that a large number of Awakening members have been in contact in recent days with armed Iraqi factions that are still at war with the Americans and the government forces in those areas where they [the Awakening people] were active, asking them for forgiveness and for the acceptance of their return to the ranks of the fighting factions, including those [factions] that have a strong relationship with the AlQaeda organization. And some of our correspondents have learned that there was a welcome, in more than one location, for their return once again to the fight.

The reporter cites specific instances of decline in popularity and membership of the Awakenings and loss of confidence in the government and the Americans, and adds:

All of this coincides with the statements made by Abu alAbd, the former Islamic Army leader who a year ago formed the Knights of Amariya, which was the starting point for the whole Awakenings experience in Baghdad--statements made by him in London to a journalist expressing his fear that the government was trying to liquidate him and put an end to the Awakenings not that they are no longer needed.

Right on schedule, and almost as if to promote this process of re-confrontation between ex-Awakenings and the US forces, AlHayat reports interview remarks by Bergner of the US forces to the effect that there is no longer a need for some of the Awakenings, and adding that there will now have to be a difficult process of directing them to other spheres of activity.