Latest update: 23/10/2008 

- Baghdad - Iraq - shiite - Sunni


Transfer of power in Iraq?
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Tonight the debate is about Iraq and the cautious start of the transfer of some 100,000 Sunni Arab fighters to the authority of the Shiite-led Iraqi government. (Part 1)
By Andrea SANKE (text)

Click here to watch part 2 of the debate

 

The Sons of Iraq, as the US military calls them, also known as the Sahwa or Awakening Councils, are mostly former insurgents who fought the Americans but have since transferred their loyalties to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. They have played a key part in the sharp reduction in violence in Iraq over the last year. 

 

The Iraqi government is to start paying the salaries of men transferred to its control - a monthly bill of some 15 million dollars - from November 10th. For the moment the transfer is limited to Baghdad. 

 

Robert Parsons' guests are:
 
Mehdi BENCHELAH, who is a free-lance journalist and specialist on the Middle East  
 
Myriam BENRAAD, who is a research fellow on the Middle-East a the Centre for International Studies and Research at Sciences Po in Paris.
 
Patrick COCKBURN, a specialist on the Middle East with the Independent newspaper who has been covering Iraq since 1977
 

Jay DESHMUKH, who is an AFP correspondent in Iraq.

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