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Suicide bomber kills 9 Sunni militiamen in Iraq

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-11 22:00

Iraqi policemen stand guard outside a Christian church a day ahead of Easter Sunday in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 11, 2009. [Agencies]

"What have we done to deserve this?" said Sahwa member Mohammed al-Janabi, who was badly wounded in the abdomen and legs.

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"We helped to make this area safe and when we come to receive our salaries, our bodies are ripped apart. Goddamn al Qaeda, goddamn al Qaeda," he shouted.

Many of the Sahwa were former insurgents and fear the government will target them for past crimes. The US military had been paying their wages until late last year but has now passed all responsibility for the militia to the government.

Iraqi officials and the US military say the recent arrests of Sahwa members have been carried out under legal warrants and because of evidence that they committed crimes, such as planting bombs, even after they came onto the US payroll.

"I hope these sacrifices will convince the government that we deserve better treatment," said another survivor, Salman Yasin, lightly wounded on the arm.

 

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