Sons of Iraq

Sunni Awakening
Sunni Awakening
	Flag of the Iraq Awakening Conference
Leaders	Sheik Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi (assassinated) ; Sheikh Ali Hatem Ali Sulaiman; Sheikh Abdul-Jabbar Abu Risha; Sheikhs of Al-Bu Nimr; Sheiks of Al-Bu Issa; Saad Ghaffoori (a.k.a. Abu Abed); Abu Azzam al Tamimi ; Adel al-Mashhadani (killed in January 2014) ;
Dates of operation	2005–2013
Group(s)	Albu Risha; Al-Jaghayfa; Al-Jabbour; Albu Fahd; Albu Nimr; Albu Isa; Albu Dhiyab; Albu Ali; Albu Fraj;
Active regions	Iraq
Size	51,900 (estimated in January 2011); 30,000 (June 6, 2012);
Allies	United States (ceasefire); Iraq; Syria; Iran;
Opponents	Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, otherwise known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, which became the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars	Iraq War 2013 Hawija Clashes; Insurgency in Iraq;

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.

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]

^ "Iraq executes 26 men, including anti-Qaeda leader". The Daily Star Newspaper. Lebanon. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
^ "Hosted news". Associated Press – via Google..
^ Cite error: The named reference Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Harvey, Derek; Michael Pregent (June 12, 2014). "Opinion: Who's to blame for Iraq crisis". CNN. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
^ Chulov, Martin (2023-03-17). "A bloody delusion: how Iraq war led to catastrophic aftermath in Middle East". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-17.

[ReferenceA-1] "Iraq executes 26 men, including anti-Qaeda leader". The Daily Star Newspaper. Lebanon. Retrieved 27 October 2014.

[2] "Hosted news". Associated Press – via Google..

[Iraq:_Politics,_Governance,_and_Human_Rights-3] Cite error: The named reference Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] Harvey, Derek; Michael Pregent (June 12, 2014). "Opinion: Who's to blame for Iraq crisis". CNN. Retrieved December 26, 2007.

[5] Chulov, Martin (2023-03-17). "A bloody delusion: how Iraq war led to catastrophic aftermath in Middle East". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-17.

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