Five armed groups in Iraq prepare to hand over weapons

Political sources say five armed groups in Iraq are preparing to lay down their weapons and hand them over to Iraqi authorities. The move is intended to answer U.S. conditions calling for the groups to be disarmed and barred from taking senior posts in the new government. According to the sources, four of the five groups are under U.S. sanctions. Two other groups have refused to surrender their weapons and are listed under both U.S. sanctions and terrorism designations. A political official also confirmed that some groups have agreed to give up their weapons. How the process will work remains unclear, with some contacts said to be linking disarmament to continuing the political process and taking roles in the government.