Political circles and the media have advocated an ideal solution, whereby Sunni insurgents in Iraq would be allowed to fight ISIS as part of a mechanism similar to the Awakening Councils, which in 2006 were formed by the US forces and succeeded in attracting large numbers of gunmen affiliated with various armed Sunni factions.
However, the circumstances that allowed the formation of the Awakening groups are different from the current situation.
The Sunni fighters, not to mention the tribes and most residents of Sunni cities, do not have confidence in such an experience, particularly since the Maliki government clamped down on the Awakening groups, causing widespread resentment among Sunnis.
Furthermore, the relationship between the various armed factions and ISIS has changed since 2006. For the most part, Sunnis are not ready to go to war against ISIS on behalf of Baghdad, the United States and perhaps the whole world. Some Sunnis believe they will not be forced to take up arms against ISIS unless they form their own independent state, or at least a province separated from Baghdad in terms of security mechanisms, or have their demands for reform met by the government.
The idea of a single sect bearing the responsibility for the war on ISIS is not acceptable. The final responsibility for implementing this task falls on the state alone, not on the citizens or the militias outside the scope of the state.
To undermine ISIS, the organization should first be separated from armed Sunni groups that are ready to integrate into the state. Such a separation will not be achieved without a radical reconciliation in Iraq and new transitional justice mechanisms that would convince these factions of the national project.
While not a short-term fix, successfully applying such procedures, and developing them via permanent legal systems, would allow for long-term de-radicalization.
(Terrorism image via Shutterstock)
Comments are closed.