Sunnis Ask U.S. to Stay
The week's news at a glance.
Baghdad
In a dramatic about-face, some Sunni leaders have dropped their demand that U.S. troops leave Iraq, The New York Times reported this week. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni, said he has withdrawn his earlier call for U.S. forces to leave, out of fear of a potential blood bath. Sunnis still deeply resent the Americans for the invasion and the demise of Saddam Hussein’s regime. But key Sunnis now say they simply can’t trust the Shiite-dominated Iraqi security forces to protect them from rampaging Shiite militias, which have been brazenly slaughtering Sunnis in Baghdad and other cities. “Look at what the militias are doing even while we have the American forces here,” said Sheik Abdul Wahab al-Adhami. “Imagine what would happen if they left.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Starlink: what Elon Musk's satellite soft power means for the world
The Explainer The rapid expansion of his satellite internet company has given Musk a unique form of leverage in some of the world's most vulnerable regions
-
Lilo & Stitch: is Disney's latest live-action remake a 'ghastly misfire'?
Talking Point The studio's retelling of the 2002 original flattens its fuzzy blue protagonist – but could still be a box office smash
-
A manga predicting a natural disaster is affecting tourism to Japan
Under the Radar The 1999 book originally warned of a disaster that would befall Japan in 2011 — a prophecy that came true