Rise of Awakening Groups Sets Off A Struggle for Power Among Sunnis

Tariq Yousef al-Asaal, an Awakening founder in Anbar, dismissed his firing as police chief as "a political decision." (By Andrea Bruce -- The Washington Post)
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Tribal bonds work to the advantage of the Awakening. "They are closer to us, and we feel they have done a lot for the people," said Um Ahmed, a housewife who declined to give her full name.

But no one is counting out the Iraqi Islamic Party. It has deep financial resources, and many electoral commission members belong to the party. Awakening leaders have alleged that the party is exerting influence over the electoral commission to push the elections back until next year, which party members have denied.

Marzuk said the Iraqi Islamic Party has plenty of support across the nation. "We are not worried," he said, smiling.

In recent months, Awakening leaders have traded accusations with the party in other parts of the province. One powerful Anbar tribal leader, Hamid al-Hayis, who heads his own U.S.-backed group, named candidates to fill cabinet positions left vacant by the Sunni bloc's boycott of the central government over political differences.

This year, Hayis also ordered Iraqi Islamic Party politicians to leave their positions in Anbar and vowed to take up arms against them. In newspapers, he branded them "a political wing of al-Qaeda." The party retaliated by suing Hayis and another Awakening leader. The nation's high court has issued an arrest warrant for them.

Fear of Conflict

Tensions are rising as the United States prepares to hand over security responsibility for Anbar to Iraq. More than 1,100 American troops have lost their lives in Anbar, according to the independent Web site iCasualties.org, and it is a province still on the fringes of stability.

Suicide bombings have become more frequent in recent months. Some of the attacks have appeared political in nature; last month, the Iraqi Islamic Party's headquarters in the city of Fallujah was blown up.

Many fear that the discord over Asaal's dismissal may turn into a wider intra-Sunni conflict. Without a strong police force to keep security, insurgents could resume their attacks. Policemen here said they would never accept their chief's dismissal.

"We will fight anyone who approves this," said Asaal's secretary, who asked that his name not be used because of safety concerns. "The governing council is creating conditions for more violence."

Asaal said he doubted that the central government would fire him.

"I don't think the government is ready to sacrifice the security of Anbar," he predicted. "Now, the only thing the government is proud of is Anbar. The main success of the United States government is Anbar." He added: "If I get dismissed, my policemen will lose morale. The security situation will collapse again. And we won't have anything to be proud of."

Special correspondents Adil Dulaymi and Zaid Sabah contributed to this report.