Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 09/2008

PolicyWatch #1349: Who Represents the Iraqi Sunnis?

Nazar Janabi

March 2008

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Abstract

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Sunnis in Anbar and other western Iraqi provinces have struggled to develop a coherent and representative political leadership. The recently formed Iraqi Awakening Convention (IAC) -- a collective of so-called "Awakening council" leaders -- could represent the next step in that evolution and, if nurtured, make a significant contribution to broader political reconciliation. It will also mean, however, that current elected leaders will have to give way to new local leaders or compete politically with them, since it is pointless to compete violently given the asymmetry of the current power balance.