Sunni Awakening | |
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Participant in the Iraq War | |
Active | 2005–2013 |
Groups | |
Leaders |
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Area of operations | Iraq |
Size |
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Allies | |
Opponents | Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn otherwise known as: al-Qaeda in Iraq, which became the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
Battles and wars |
The Sons of Iraq (Arabic: أبناء العراق Abnāʼ al-ʻIrāq) were coalitions between tribal Sheikhs in the Al Anbar province in Iraq as well as former Saddam Hussein's Iraqi military officers that united to maintain stability in their communities. They were initially sponsored by the US military.
The Sons of Iraq were virtually nonexistent by 2013 due to former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's unwillingness to integrate them into the security services. Sunnis formerly serving with the group were faced with options including becoming unemployed or joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The Sons of Iraq were also known as Anbar's Salvation (Arabic: إنقاذ الأنبار Inqādh al-Anbār), the National Council for the Salvation of Iraq (Arabic: المجلس الوطني لإنقاذ العراق al-Majlis al-Waṭanī li-Inqādh al-ʻIrāq), the Sunni Salvation movement (Arabic: حركة الإنقاذ السني Ḥarakat al-Inqādh al-Sunnī), the National Council for the Awakening of Iraq (Arabic: المجلس الوطني لصحوة العراق al-Majlis al-Waṭanī li-Ṣaḥwat al-ʻIrāq) and the Sunni Awakening movement (Arabic: حركة الصحوة السنية Ḥarakat al-Ṣaḥwah al-Sunnīyah