Sons of Iraq
Iraqi military group in Al Anbar (2005–2013) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Anbar Salvation Council?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The Sons of Iraq (Arabic: أبناء العراق Abnāʼ al-ʻIrāq) or al-Sahwah (Arabic: الصحوة, lit. 'the awakening') were a coalition in the Al Anbar province in Iraq between Sunni tribal leaders as well as former Ba'athist Iraqi military officers that united in 2005 to maintain stability in their communities. A moderate group, they were initially sponsored by General Petraeus and the US military.
Sunni Awakening | |
---|---|
Leaders |
|
Dates of operation | 2005–2013 |
Group(s) |
|
Active regions | Iraq |
Size | |
Allies | |
Opponents | Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, otherwise known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, which became the Islamic State |
Battles and wars | Iraq War |
After arriving into power, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki played on religious divides to consolidate his power. Maliki denounced the Sons of Iraq as a national threat, actively dismantling them and refusing to integrate them into Iraqi's security services. Sunnis formerly serving with the group were faced with options including becoming unemployed or joining the Islamic State.[4] This turn of event is considered a key factor in Iraqi failure to stabilize and its 2013–2017 Iraq war.[5]