Iraq Diversifying Shiite Forces While Abuses Continue, U.S. Says
- Report finds Sunnis, Kurds being brought into local forces
- Government hasn't done enough about `abuse of Sunni civilians'
Iraqi soldiers march during the Iraq's armed forces' 95th anniversary celebrations at the Military School in Rustamiyah district of Baghdat, Iraq in 2016.
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Iraq’s government has taken “meaningful steps” toward bringing minority Sunnis and Kurds into the military and government but hasn’t done enough to stop the abuse of citizens by Shiite-dominated militias, according to a U.S. assessment.
While President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials have expressed concern that Iraq’s leaders remain mired in sectarian divisions and tensions that can undercut the fight against Islamic State, the Defense and State departments focused on signs of progress in the joint report required by Congress.