What is Behind Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq?
A recent spate of execution-style killings in Iraq has again brought into question the effectiveness of the Iraqi security services, writes Ali Abel Sadah.
Regarding the incidents of Feb. 19, 2013, a source in Iraqi intelligence told Al-Monitor, “An armed militia wearing an official military outfit executed eight members of al-Sahwa in the city of Tuz Khormato (north of Baghdad).”
The al-Sahwa forces were formed by the U.S. Army in 2008, but the government neglected them. Consequently, the forces members faced unemployment, while also topping the list of al-Qaeda’s assassination targets.
However, the security incidents in the country, such as the assassination of al-Sahwa members in Tuz Khormato, are being repeated in several regions, thus reminding Iraqis of the civil war between 2006 and 2008.
The intelligence source stated, on condition of anonymity, that there has been a resurgence in assassinations, especially in Baghdad. The source indicated that most of the assassinations have been sectarian.
