As you read here first

The Sons of Iraq – local security volunteers credited with helping reduce violent attacks and terrorist influence across the country – marked two major milestones Wednesday [April 1 2009]: Coalition forces completed the final transfer of Sons of Iraq members to Iraqi control, and the Government of Iraq secured the funds to pay back wages to Sons of Iraq in four provinces.

“These are big wins, and they affirm the Government of Iraq’s commitment to the Sons of Iraq,” said Col. Jeffrey Kulmayer, chief of reconciliation, Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

The Sons of Iraq, who number about 92,000 in nine provinces across Iraq, were born in 2006 out of the grassroots movement known as Sahwah, or “The Awakening.” Concerned local citizens rallied together in their neighborhoods to counter violent acts by terrorists and insurgents. In 2007, the volunteers partnered with Coalition forces to defeat common enemies like Al Qaeda in Iraq. Security conditions improved greatly, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki approved a plan for the national government to take control of the Sons of Iraq, pay them and transition them into meaningful long-term jobs.

“Everyone in the government understands the importance of the Sons of Iraq, and their sacrifices for the good of the nation,” said Dr. Zuhair al-Chalibi, a representative of the Iraqi government’s Implementation and Follow-Up Committee for National Reconciliation, which oversees the volunteers’ transfer and transition to Iraqi control. He said the government would continue to support the “vital project and give it the attention it deserves.”

On Wednesday, the government officially took responsibility for all of the nation’s Sons of Iraq, when Coalition Forces passed command of Salah ah Din province’s 10,000 or so members to the Iraqi Army – the final group to be transferred. That event, which is to be marked by an official ceremony Thursday, came on the heels of news that the Government of Iraq would soon pay other SOI members who had been late in receiving their regular wages.

The payment delay resulted from changes to the 2009 budget, which inadvertently left out funding for Sons of Iraq salaries, Kulmayer said. Once the Council of Ministers realized what had happened, they quickly passed a resolution to delegate the Ministry of Interior to pay the salaries of the SOI from the Ministry’s budget until a resolution on the required allocation of funds for the SOI is reached in the Council of Representatives, Iraq’s main parliamentary body, Kulmayer said.

This week, the Ministry of Interior transferred sufficient funds to the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration committee, which prepares the pay rosters and writes the checks to each ISF unit overseeing the SOI. That process is now complete, and Iraqi Army paymasters responsible for disbursing the funds to SOI members will be ready to give them out starting Thursday, Kulmayer said. Those catch-up payments are in addition to the regular SOI pay date, slated for the middle of the month.

The resolution of the payments was a priority for government and Coalition authorities, who have focused on the SOI program as “the leading edge of reconciliation in Iraq,” Kulmayer said.

“Working with the Iraqi Government, we are taking a population that was separate, integrating them into the new Iraq and providing hope through a transition into meaningful employment,” Kulmayer said. “With the transfer of SOI to Iraqi control completed, we are now focusing on the transition of SOI to jobs.”

Chalibi said the government was working to ensure there were no future delays in the payment process for the Sons of Iraq. “This has to be successful,” he said. “This is a national reconciliation.”

MNF-I

A young man beginning a business to support his new family is not necessarily headline news. However, for Kusai, 24, his dream would be realized in the heart of what was once considered an extremists’ stronghold only six months prior – Hawijah, Iraq.

Hawijah, located approximately 60 miles south of Kirkuk City in the Kirkuk province, historically held center stage to the region’s worst violence against civilians, Iraq security forces, and coalition forces by extremists. The residents here faced anywhere from 10 to 15 attacks per day, according to military records. Soldiers report that day-time patrols were targeted with small arms fire throughout the city and routinely upon exiting the confines of Forward Operating Base McHenry where Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division are located.

Since the establishment of Sahwah – meaning “reconciliation” or “awakening” to locals, overall violence in this predominantly Sunni-Arab populated region of northeastern Iraq, has experienced nearly an 80 percent drop in violent activity, according to Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, commander, 1-87 Regiment.

While isolated incidents do occur, “the crucial element to the ongoing successes here are the concerned citizens of Hawijah who are effectively identifying those responsible … expeditiously,” Vanek said. The citizens that Vanek refers to are the Sons of Iraq that number over 7,000 in Hawijah alone.

“Sahwah has made it possible for me to open my shop and provide for my family. There is business. People feel safer. You see the security,” Kusai, said, pointing to the five SoIs that have stopped by to investigate and converse with the Soldiers of Bravo Company, 1-87 Regiment.

“These men are very good. They are always stopping by to see if everything is okay,” he said.

Kusai is not the only merchant who has benefited from the outcome of Sahwah. An ice cream parlor across the street that resembles a scaled-down version of a fountain shop in the U.S., is stocked with soft drinks, cookies, cakes, and an ice cream machine.

Masmoud Wasif, 17, welcomes the Soldiers as they enter to purchase some canned drinks, handing them out to the children that have gathered there. The shop is owned by Wasif’s parents who have operated the store for around three years. “Business is much better since Sahwah,” he said. “People are not afraid to come to the market place and shop.”

He credits the Sons of Iraq for the increased security.

“I am very happy they are here,” he said and inquires if they could stay until midnight so that he can earn more money.

In addition to providing over watch on the city’s security, SoI’s are seen clearing debris and sweeping the streets during this visit. A day later on a return trip from another mission, Vanek remarks that he has never seen the streets of Hawijah so clean.

“This is incredible,” he said upon receiving the news that the SoIs were responsible. “Incredible.”

DVIDS
By Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment