Iraq seeks breakup of Sunni fighters

The Iraqi army shut down most of the group's checkpoints there, raided its members' homes and closed all but one of its offices. Then, last week, Maliki announced that gunmen could apply for amnesty. Safi decided to take the government up on its offer. He showed up at the local government's headquarters, accompanied by a tribal sheik to vouch for him, and submitted his application. At least 13 Sunni fighters remain in jail, Safi said.

The Sunni commander has accepted the situation -- if only because his options are limited. "We feel this is a political game to embarrass and expel us," he said. "We are just dealing with the matter because we have no choice."

He hints that some could restart the fight against the Americans and the Iraqi government if things continue to deteriorate. Like most, he has his eyes on elections as a way for his group to gain power -- yet even that target seems elusive after parliament failed to pass an election law this summer.

"We don't know what our stance will be if other things happen from the security forces, the Iraqi government or the Americans," Safi said. He recognizes that things have changed with his U.S. allies. "The Americans have made their compromises. They want the Iraqi central government authority to prevail, so they can withdraw to their bases."

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ned.parker@latimes.com

A Times special correspondent in Diyala province and Times staff writers Said Rifai and Saif Hameed contributed to this report.