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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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6,000 Iraqi Sunnis Vow to Aid US

Iraqi civilian forces help decrease violence as refugees return home

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(Newser) – Almost 6,000 Sunni Arab civilians in Iraq turned against Al-Qaeda yesterday and signed a pact to help US forces police possible insurgent escape routes. As insurgents seek to gain a foothold in the semi-autonomous north, American officials hailed the alliance, which is the Iraq war’s largest single volunteer effort, AP reports.

The new fighters will be paid $275 monthly—comparable to a typical Iraqi policeman’s salary—and will cover about 200 security checkpoints starting next month. One mayor cited local murders by the insurgents, and vowed: “I will not let them continue their killing.” Thousands of Iraqis have helped American forces dampen violence, and thousands of refugees are returning home to Iraq from Syria.

Iraqi refugees pack their luggage on a bus at al-Sayda Zeinab, southern Damascus on Tuesday Nov. 27. 2007 ahead of their return trip to Iraq. In the first-ever convoy financed by their government, hundreds of Iraqi refugees boarded buses leaving Syria on Tuesday and heading home to Baghdad, cautiously hoping...
Iraqi refugees pack their luggage on a bus at al-Sayda Zeinab, southern Damascus on Tuesday Nov. 27. 2007 ahead of their return trip to Iraq. In the first-ever convoy financed by their government, hundreds...   (Associated Press)
Iraqi refugees that have just arrived from Syria unload their luggage from a bus in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Hundreds of Iraqi refugees boarded buses leaving Syria on Tuesday and heading home to Baghdad, cautiously hoping the improvement in security means they can stay for good. (AP Photo/Hadi...
Iraqi refugees that have just arrived from Syria unload their luggage from a bus in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Hundreds of Iraqi refugees boarded buses leaving Syria on Tuesday and heading...   (Associated Press)
In this photo released by the U.S Air Force, Sunni tribal leaders sign a security pact in Hawija, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Nearly 6,000 Sunni Arab residents signed a security pact with American forces Wednesday in this dusty farming community...
In this photo released by the U.S Air Force, Sunni tribal leaders sign a security pact in Hawija, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Nearly 6,000 Sunni Arab residents...   (Associated Press)
In this photo released by the U.S Air Force, Sunni tribal leaders congratulate each other after signing a security pact in Hawija, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Nearly 6,000 Sunni Arab residents signed a security pact with American forces Wednesday in...
In this photo released by the U.S Air Force, Sunni tribal leaders congratulate each other after signing a security pact in Hawija, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28,...   (Associated Press)
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