Saturday, June 02, 2007
Sheiks say tribes best force to take on insurgents in Diyala
Tribal, Security
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi tribal leaders have told London-based "Al-Hayat" that they expect the U.S. and Iraqi militaries to launch a major operation aimed at driving the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq from Diyala Governorate, the newspaper reported on May 31. "Major preparations are under way in the provincial joint-operations room that is manned by senior Iraqi army and police commanders in cooperation with multinational forces to launch a major battle against the armed groups," said Sheikh Dari Thu'ban al-Khuyun.
The tribal leader said the majority of the fighters hail from the governorate, adding: "We have accurate information on the locations of these groups." Sheikh Ali al-Burhan, leader of the Al-Izzah tribes, told "Al-Hayat" that the "military capabilities of the armed groups are bigger than those of the tribes and the army" in the governorate, and reinforcements have not yet arrived. "It would be better to arm the largest number of tribes, which can cleanse all the regions of Diyala where more than 80 percent of the armed men and the insurgents in Iraq are found," Al-Burhan contended. He stressed that any large-scale military operation could destroy "the good things" in Diyala while trying to drive out insurgents.
Labels: Al-Izzah tribes, Diyala, Islamic State of Iraq, Sheikh Ali al-Burhan, Sheikh Dari Thu'ban al-Khuyun, tribal leaders
