What’s next for ‘Sons of Iraq’?

[unhappycamper]

What’s next for ‘Sons of Iraq’?
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, May 17, 2008

"Sons of Iraq" groups — armed civilians on the payroll of the U.S. military — have been credited as key to the improved security situation in parts of the country, but challenges are arising as the U.S. military and Iraqi government seek to transition these groups into other positions, whether it be the army and police or the daily work force.

There are some 100,000 members of the groups. While mainly Shiite, some have been formed in Sunni areas. U.S. officials have acknowledged that many of the group members were either active or passive supporters of the insurgency before joining. Some were even recruited directly after their release from detention facilities.

The first choice, officials have said, is to enroll "Sons of Iraq" members in the Iraqi police.

More than 300 former members, for example, were among the Iraqi police cadet class that graduated from the Kirkuk Police Academy earlier this week, U.S. officials said.

Those men were from the Hawijah District, a predominantly Sunni area which has some 7,500 "Sons of Iraq," officials said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54859