Sunny Sunnis

A group of influential Sunni clerics — 64 imams and scholars — issued a fatwa directing their Sunni followers to start joining the Iraqi police and army. A tip of the hat to Captain's Quarters for alerting me to this story.

I was very surprised to see this news. So much so, in fact, that my initial instinct was that the announcement was either a hoax (it was April Fool's day, after all) or a trick of some sort. If it's the former, it's fooled a lot of people, including the New York Times (I know, I know — it wouldn't be the first time). If it's the latter, it's subtle enough to completely escape my ken. So I'm taking the announcement at face value. From the grey lady:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 1 - A group of Sunni Arab clerics, including some hard-line figures who fiercely oppose the American presence here, issued a statement on Friday urging their fellow Sunni Arabs to join the Iraqi Army and police.

The edict, signed by 64 imams and religious scholars, was a striking turnaround for the clerics, who have often lashed out in sermons at the fledgling army and police force and branded them collaborators.

Prominently missing from the signers was Harith al-Dari, the leader of the Association of Muslim Scholars and one of the most influential Sunni Arab clerics in Iraq, who is said to have close ties to the insurgency.

Still, the directive, which carried the signature of Ahmed Hassan al-Taha, an imam at an important Baghdad mosque who has been a strong critic of the occupation, seemed to represent a significant step.

Many if not most insurgent attacks in recent months have been aimed at the police and army, which are largely composed of Shiites. The cleric who announced the edict, Sheik Ahmed Abdul Ghafour al-Samarrai, said he hoped and believed that the new directive would undercut those attacks.

But Sheik Abdul Ghafour also made clear that the order was aimed at regaining some control over Iraq's new security forces, not saving Shiite lives. Sunni Arabs dominated the higher echelons of the military under Saddam Hussein, and many, enraged by the American decision to dissolve Mr. Hussein's army two years ago, joined the insurgency.

"The new army and police force are empty of good people, and we need to supply them," the edict said. "Because the police and army are a safeguard for the whole nation, not a militia for any special party, we have issued this fatwa calling on our people to join the army and police."

The edict contained a condition seemingly aimed at sweetening the pill for resistant Sunni Arabs: that a new police or army recruit must agree "not to help the occupier against his compatriots."

The edict contained a condition seemingly aimed at sweetening the pill for resistant Sunni Arabs: that a new police or army recruit must agree "not to help the occupier against his compatriots."

The condition about "not helping the occupiers against his compatriots" is a little troubling. One can imagine a scenario wherein a mixed force of Iraqi Army and US Marines is attacking an insurgent group, and the Sunni components of the Iraqi Army stand down, refusing to fight, when they discover (or believe) that the insurgents happen to be Sunni. Certainly not good. On the other hand, it's better than having those Sunni Army members in the insurgent group. So it's a step forward, though I'm not sure how big in practice.

In attitude, though, it seems like a huge leap. I can't help but wonder about the timing of it. What caused the imams and scholars to do this just now? The hopeful view would be that they've seen the positive results of the elections and the security forces and they want to be part of the success. I hope that's what it is. The more cynical and suspicious view would be that they see this as a way for their resistance to be more successful — and I certainly hope that's neither true nor accurate!