Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Al-Maliki visits Ramadi as more troops arrive in Diyala
Security, Politics
(CNN) Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki journeyed to the insurgent-wracked province of Anbar on Tuesday, to meet with Sunni tribal chiefs helping U.S. forces, said an official with the prime minister's office.
Al-Maliki's unannounced trip to Anbar's capital of Ramadi comes as U.S. commanders prepare to send some 4,000 Marines to the province, which has long been a flash point for insurgent violence. The prime minister is set to meet with citizens and government officials.
The new chief of U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, praised Ramadi leaders last week for their support against insurgents, including al Qaeda in Iraq. "Tribes in Ramadi have one after the other after another volunteered to join the local police and have all of a sudden become a very, very serious force for al Qaeda in Iraq to reckon with," Petraeus said. "There's really only a small portion of eastern Ramadi that is still viewed as having some extremist elements in it."
Al-Maliki's visit includes some symbolism, as the Shiite leader reaches out to tribal leaders in the Sunni-dominated region, amid months of sectarian killings in Baghdad and elsewhere. Minority Sunnis ruled under Saddam Hussein and his regime often oppressed Iraqis who belonged to the Shiite majority. Now, members of both sects share power with ethnic Kurds in Iraq's fledgling government.
Al-Maliki's unannounced trip to Anbar's capital of Ramadi comes as U.S. commanders prepare to send some 4,000 Marines to the province, which has long been a flash point for insurgent violence. The prime minister is set to meet with citizens and government officials.
The new chief of U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, praised Ramadi leaders last week for their support against insurgents, including al Qaeda in Iraq. "Tribes in Ramadi have one after the other after another volunteered to join the local police and have all of a sudden become a very, very serious force for al Qaeda in Iraq to reckon with," Petraeus said. "There's really only a small portion of eastern Ramadi that is still viewed as having some extremist elements in it."
Al-Maliki's visit includes some symbolism, as the Shiite leader reaches out to tribal leaders in the Sunni-dominated region, amid months of sectarian killings in Baghdad and elsewhere. Minority Sunnis ruled under Saddam Hussein and his regime often oppressed Iraqis who belonged to the Shiite majority. Now, members of both sects share power with ethnic Kurds in Iraq's fledgling government.
COMMENT: Al-Maliki is raising his profile and leading by example. He is trying to demonstrate to Iraqis that the government has the security situation enough under control for him to travel around. He also visited an area in Baghdad on Friday. He also needs to appear accommodating to the Sunnis because he is losing support in his own block as Fadhela has left the UIA and the Kurds are showing interest in Allawi's newly formed Iraqi National Front.
The local tribes are an important factor and a force to be reckoned with. People listen to them, and if they don't support the security effort, they will be supporting the insurgency as many of them have done. However, Al Qaeda in Iraq killed too many civilians for the liking of many of the tribes, who have now turned against the insurgents and bring their local knowledge and private militias to contribute to the larger national security effort. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: al-Maliki, Diyala, Ramadi, tribal leaders, troop surge
