US gets blame for Baghdad bombs

BAGHDAD // In the Baghdad neighbourhood of Adamiyah, for so long a focal point of the war being fought in Iraq, Sheikh Amer al Azzawi is suspicious. A recent series of bombings that claimed dozens of lives in the capital have reminded anyone who might have forgotten that this remains a dangerous city, one shot-through with political intrigue, violence, poverty - and patrolled by foreign soldiers.

Sheikh Azzawi suspects the bombers might have been helped by the US army, either accidentally or by design, or by people working inside the Iraqi government. "First the Americans release al Qa'eda prisoners from jails, and then we have these attacks," he said, referring to inmates of the US prison system, some of whom have been freed as they wind down their operations and hand them over to the Iraqi government. "There is something going on and it feels as if things are pointing back towards the abyss.

"Perhaps the US forces are behind the bombings. America is not interested in establishing full security in Iraq because that will mean an end to the occupation. Some instability will give them a reason to stay here." His comments would perhaps be less significant if he were anything other than a senior figure in the Sahwa Council, or Awakening, movement, the group of Sunni tribes who turned against al Qa'eda and worked alongside the Americans to help bring about vast improvements in security. Sheikh Azzawi and his band of fighters in Adamiyah, a place once synonymous with the insurgency, are supposed to be allies of the US.

Now on Iraqi government payrolls, the Sahwa Councils are also supposed to be allies of the authorities but Sheikh Azzawi is unhappy with them as well. A number of Awakening members were recently arrested, sparking gun battles between the Sunni groups and government forces. There have also been increasing reports that Sahwa fighters are not being paid, adding to the simmering discontent. "Confidence in the government has been shaken here because they have started arresting members of the Sahwa," he said. "It has left the Sahwa leaders with a puzzle to solve: do they stay with the government of Iraq to fight al Qa'eda and the terrorists, or do they return to working against the state?

"If the government continues to target the Sahwa, al Qa'eda will benefit. We will end up on the brink of the abyss again." With the bombs exploding at a time when the Sahwa Councils are increasingly feeling betrayed and fearful of being undercut by the government, some here have accused them of orchestrating the blasts. Critics of the Sahwa say they may have planted the bombs as a reminder that, unless paid-off and placated, blood will flow freely.

They are claims the Sahwa deny, and both the Iraqi government and US military have pointedly not blamed the Awakening leaders, instead saying Islamic extremists were behind the bombings. However, comments last week by Gen Ray Odierno, the senior US military commander in Iraq, that continued violence may mean US forces do not pull out of cities by the June 30 deadline have only added to the sense of conspiracy.

"America has great ambitions in Iraq and does not want to leave," said Naseer al Issawi, a member of parliament with the Sadrist bloc. The Shiite nationalist Sadr movement has consistently opposed the presence of US forces. "If security is established then the Americans know they will have to leave, so they will be happy to undermine the situation by bombings and other means. "The Americans have no intention of leaving, it is a trick."

Warning that violence was likely to further increase, Mr al Issawi said elements of the Iraqi government had a vested interest in continued instability and the ongoing presence of US troops. Crucially, he also cautioned that political reconciliation had yet to take place between major power blocs in Iraq, leaving open the prospect that disagreements would be settled by force of arms. "There are segments of Iraqi society who remain dependent on the US occupation for their positions and power," he said. "There is still potential for political conflicts between the various parties and blocs, and these could lead us back to chaotic violence."

While recriminations and allegations continue to be levelled in all directions, the underlying fear is that improvements in Iraq's security situation are in the process of being reversed. "There has been a failure by the security services somewhere and it remains possible that there can be a real collapse at any moment," said Hikmat Nur al Deen, an independent political activist in Baghdad. "The blasts brought back many memories of the black times of 2007 and I think many of us are worried that in the coming days things will get more dangerous again.

"The truth is that there are still real conflicts between the political parties and there is no firm control over anything. In the future we might come to see these months as the beginning of the end of a semi-stable Iraq." nlatif@thenational.ae