The checkered dealings with the Sahwa in recent years drained the Sunni community of any trust in the Baghdad government and particularly in Maliki, who is seeking a third consecutive four-year term.

In 2009, the U.S. handed responsibility for the Sahwa over to Iraq's Shiite-led government, which promised Washington it would fold the some 100,000 Sunni fighters into the security forces or other government jobs. Around 23,000 former Sahwa fighters were eventually put on the government payroll, according to Ahmad Abu Risha, a leading Sahwa figure.

In February of 2013, Maliki's government hit upon the idea of resurrecting the Sahwa.

Hardan was elected in early 2013 as the head of the "new Sahwa," but he was never fully welcomed by many of the old Sahwa leaders, particularly Ahmad Abu Risha, who had long been recognized as the leading figure in the movement.

Amer al-Khuzaie, Maliki's adviser on reconciliation and Sahwa, said that as of June 1, 2014, there were 31,000 fighters nationwide for the new Sahwa.

Members of the new Sahwa say most of those funds were not reaching the fighters.

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