Iraqi militias linked to mainstream political parties are breaking the law by refusing to disarm or join the official security services, Gulf News can reveal. Under rules drawn up for the interim government, all political groups are supposed to have surrendered control of their armed wings either shutting them down or incorporating them into the police, army and National Guard. The law was agreed in an attempt to prevent factional warring and create a unified Iraqi military, one strong enough to battle a powerful insurgency. But tens of thousands of fighters are still reporting to commanders who have not been brought under Baghdad's control, despite their parties signing up to the electoral system. Gulf News has been told while some groups had apparently dissolved, they are in fact on stand-by, ready to be called upon should politics fail and civil war erupt. Under this worst-case scenario, the fighters would give on-street muscle to their leaders, and protect their own communities. In the meantime, the background promise of armed support gives politicians added leverage as they jockey for position.
A source at the British Foreign office said: "The Transitional Administrative Law calls for militias to be incorporated into conventional forces, and the groups are working to that. But it's true that weapons and men are still available, any militia could be quickly reconstituted and back up to strength if their leaders so decide." He insisted problems surrounding these political armies would be tackled by negotiation, although he warned in the short term it will "look a little messy".
Iraqi sources contacted by Gulf News claimed fighters linked to banned militia groups had been conducting an underground war, kidnapping, killing and arresting opponents. One source, a Sunni living in the capital who asked not to be named, said fighters associated with the Shiite Badr Corps had drawn up a secret target list of former Baathists, and were now "settling old scores". He claimed the fighters had joined the Iraqi National Guard and were using their legitimate job to cloak politically-motivated attacks.