Sunni fighters to get Iraqi pay

The Awakening movement has made a major difference to security in Iraq

The US military in Iraq says it will soon hand responsibility for paying members of Sunni Arab groups fighting al-Qaeda to the Iraqi government.

About 100,000 former anti-US insurgents have joined the so-called Awakening Councils since September 2006 and received salaries from the US.

Members of the Baghdad Awakening will move to the government payroll on 1 October, with others to follow.

The cost of the former insurgents' salaries amounts to about $360m a year.

The BBC's Mike Sergeant in Baghdad says the Sunni Awakening has made a huge difference to the security situation in Iraq.

A US military spokesman in Baghdad says 54,000 Baghdad Awakening members would be paid by the national government from next month.

Peace area

The first councils were formed in the province of Anbar when local Sunni tribes, who had initially backed al-Qaeda against US forces, turned against it because of its extremist ideology.

Their successful campaign ousted al-Qaeda from Anbar within a year, transforming the huge western province into one of the most peaceful parts of Iraq.

Awakening councils are also found among Sunni Arab tribes in Salaheddin, Diyala, Nineveh and Tamim provinces.

Members have often been the target of attacks by al-Qaeda-inspired militants.

However, there are major concerns about whether the Awakening movement can be integrated into the national government or whether it will continue as an alternative source of political and military power, our correspondent says.

Our correspondent also says there are questions about whether the security gains which resulted from the Awakening can be sustained without US money or a substantial number of US troops on the ground.