Thursday, September 13, 2007
Anbar Salvation Council leader killed
Security, Tribal
(Al Jazeera) - A prominent Iraqi Sunni tribal leader, who has been working with the US against al-Qaeda in Iraq in al-Anbar province since last year, has been killed, state television reported. Sattar Abu Risha was reportedly killed by a roadside bomb outside his home in the city of Ramadi on Thursday. Sheikh Abu Risha was leader of the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of clans that supported the Iraqi government and US forces in fighting al-Qaeda.
"This is a man who has had a controversial past, but in recent months he has become a very prominent figure, even meeting George Bush," Al Jazeera's James Bays said. Abu Risha had urged the tribal leaders in other Iraqi provinces to follow al-Anbar's lead in co-operating with the central government against al-Qaeda. "He was returning home when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb planted by insurgents," Colonel Tareq al-Dulaimi, al-Anbar security chief said. "His car was hit directly."
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. Sheikh Jubeir Rashid, a senior member of Abu Risha's group, told the Associated Press: "It is a major blow to the council, but we are determined to strike back and continue our work. "Such an attack was expected, but it will not deter us." Two of Abu Risha's bodyguards were also killed by the roadside bomb, Colonel Tareq Youssef, supervisor of Anbar police, said.
"This is a man who has had a controversial past, but in recent months he has become a very prominent figure, even meeting George Bush," Al Jazeera's James Bays said. Abu Risha had urged the tribal leaders in other Iraqi provinces to follow al-Anbar's lead in co-operating with the central government against al-Qaeda. "He was returning home when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb planted by insurgents," Colonel Tareq al-Dulaimi, al-Anbar security chief said. "His car was hit directly."
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. Sheikh Jubeir Rashid, a senior member of Abu Risha's group, told the Associated Press: "It is a major blow to the council, but we are determined to strike back and continue our work. "Such an attack was expected, but it will not deter us." Two of Abu Risha's bodyguards were also killed by the roadside bomb, Colonel Tareq Youssef, supervisor of Anbar police, said.
Police announced a state of emergency in Ramadi after the bombing and set up additional checkpoints throughout the city, Rashid said. General David Petraeus, the senior US commander in Iraq, repeatedly pointed to successes in tackling al-Qaeda in al-Anbar province during his testimony before the US congress. Omar Abdul Satar from the Islamic Party of Iraq told Al Jazeera Abu Rishar had become a national symbol of the "national war against al-Qaeda".
"It is a major blow to the council, but we are determined to strike back and continue our work." "His programme now against al-Qaeda has become a national programme. Diyala province, Salahuddin province, Baghdad province are following now his programme," he said. Bush is set to deliver a 15-minute address to the nation on Thursday evening (0100 GMT on Friday) is expected to announce that he may pull some 30,000 US troops out of Iraq by mid-2008 effectively ending the so-called "surge".
"It is a major blow to the council, but we are determined to strike back and continue our work." "His programme now against al-Qaeda has become a national programme. Diyala province, Salahuddin province, Baghdad province are following now his programme," he said. Bush is set to deliver a 15-minute address to the nation on Thursday evening (0100 GMT on Friday) is expected to announce that he may pull some 30,000 US troops out of Iraq by mid-2008 effectively ending the so-called "surge".
But Hoda Abdel Hamid, Al Jazeera's Iraq correspondent, said the killing could derail some of the US successes. "Al-Anbar province was really the capital of al-Qaeda in Iraq ... he manage to convince the tribes to give up there young people to make up the police and armed forces in the province," she said. Within hours of Abu Risha's death, Islamic websites posted messages praising the Abu Risha's killing, the Associated Press news agency reported. One called him "one of the biggest pigs of the Crusaders," while another said he would spend Ramadan "in the pits of hell".
Labels: Anbar Salvation Council, Iraqi Islamic Party, Omar Abdul Satar, Ramadi, Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, Sheikh Jubeir Rashid, state of emergency, Sunni tribal leader
