Violence Follows Iraq Arrests

Iraqi security forces, with the help of US troops, have arrested Adil Mashadani, one of the leaders of the so-called Sunni Awakening—essentially a program that pays former insurgents to stop terrorizing their country. The arrest immediately sparked gunfights in Baghdad that lasted several hours and ended with five Iraqi soldiers being taken hostage, highlighting the delicate balance in the war-torn country, which is slowly beginning to recover. In recent days Iraqi authorities have been arresting many of those involved in the Sunni Awakening for past crimes, and local law enforcement and military officials have expressed unease at the possibility that the Sunni leaders will begin terrorizing Iraq once again as American troops withdraw.