NEW YORK — Iraq’s Speaker of Parliament Salim al-Jabouri is in the United States to rally military support for Sunni forces seeking assistance in the fight against the Islamic State in their Iraqi homeland.
Jaboori, a Sunni leader in the Mutahidoon Coalition, said he had “constructive talks” with US officials about arming a Sunni force that will include up to 10,000 recruits from local tribes and other groups.
“We spoke with the Americans about the Taqaddum military base and the 10,000 strong Sunni army which will possibly be trained there,” Jabouri told Rudaw at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
He said the bulk of this force will be from local Sunni tribes in central Iraq.
Sunni tribes in the area have in the past accused Iraq’s central government of discriminating against the country’s Sunni minority reluctant to defend the group against the so-called Islamic State, which is a ultra-radical Sunni offshoot.
Iraq’s government has been led by Shiite coalitions since the 2005 general elections that brought to power the long-oppressed majority. Shiites make up nearly 60 percent of Iraq’s population, according to previous surveys.
Iraqi government has traditionally been cautious about arming Sunni groups, fearing they might turn against Baghdad. But Jabouri said he had “frank talks” about supporting Sunni forces despite government concerns.
“One of the topics we discussed here very clearly was the military support for Iraqis, especially for those people who live under ISIS,” Jabouri said, referring to Mosul and Anbar provinces, both predominantly Sunni provinces and now ISIS enclaves.
Jabouri said arming local tribes would inevitably turn the tide against the ISIS in the area.
Baghdad’s firm refusal to allow direct military support for the Sunni tribes in remains a growing challenge for Jabouri. He has worked to pass legislation in the parliament that would effectively weaken Baghdad’s influence over delivery of foreign military aid.
“We are about to vote for the National Guards Law, which will make it easier to defend ourselves as Iraqis,” Jaboori said, explaining if the law was passed support would reach such groups even without Baghdad’s blessing.
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