Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tribal Sheikhs Forming “Salvation Council” In Salah Ad Din
Security, Tribal
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper) - 29 AUG - A number of Salah Ad Din’s Tribal Sheikhs have announced the formation of a new organization to fight Al Qaeda in northern Iraq. The US Army is continuing to arm Iraqi Tribes in the country’s “hot areas” …areas such as Jurf Al Sakhar, [this area is sometimes considered to be part of] southern Baghdad Province [due to Provincial boundary changes made during Saddam’s era; but, previously (and presently by some Iraqis) this area was part of northern Babil Province].
130 Tribal Sheikhs in Salah Ad Din Province have decided to form a new organization in order to combat the “terrorist groups”. A US Army statement, “This historic agreement came about in the “birth city” of Iraq’s former President (Saddam Hussein). All of these Tribal Sheikhs have confirmed that they will support the local government in the fight against Al Qaeda.”
In a separate issue, another US Army statement said: a number of US Army commanders have approved a ‘plan to arm some Sunni Arab groups’. These groups have promised to fight “Al Qaeda”. Some anonymous US Army officers have said: this (or a similar) plan has been proven successful in Anbar Province. American officers have negotiated with Sunni Arab groups in four areas… especially (areas) in central and northern Iraq.
An anonymous source in Tikrit (Salah Ad Din) Province said: authorities in Tikrit have completed the formation of the “3rd Regiment of Salah Ad Din’s Salvation Forces”. (This Regiment will be) under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmed Al Rijja, a Sheikh of the Dulaim Tribe. This “3rd Regiment” has been named the “Jazeera Support Regiment…to pursue ‘Al Qaeda’.” The Jazeera area is an Al Qaeda occupied area of Salah Ad Din Province. This area (Jazeera) encompasses Lake ThirThar …and extends into Anbar Province.
A source confirmed that the first two “Regiments of Salah Ad Din’s Salvation Forces” were formed earlier this year. Those two regiments are deployed in eastern Salah Ad Din (Province)…between Tikrit and Tuz. These two Regiments are similar to the (Salvation) regiments which Anbar’s Salvation Council formed. The Anbar Salvation Council is an alliance of Sunni Arab tribes; and, it was formed in September 2006…in order to fight against Al Qaeda. The Anbar Salvation Council has been able to expel Al Qaeda from most areas of Anbar Province.
The idea to create “Salah Ad Din’s Salvation Forces” was rejected by a number of Salah Ad Din’s Tribal Sheikhs (the formation of these forces was not unanimous)… (It was) especially (objected to) by some Tribal Sheikhs in the areas of: Tikrit, Bayji, and Al Dor… These Sheikhs said that the formation of this (Salah Ad Din “Salvation”) Council will cause more sedition. Hamid Ibrahim Al Jabouri, who is a member of the Salah Ad Din “Salvation” Council, was attacked by insurgents only a few days after this Council was formed.
130 Tribal Sheikhs in Salah Ad Din Province have decided to form a new organization in order to combat the “terrorist groups”. A US Army statement, “This historic agreement came about in the “birth city” of Iraq’s former President (Saddam Hussein). All of these Tribal Sheikhs have confirmed that they will support the local government in the fight against Al Qaeda.”
In a separate issue, another US Army statement said: a number of US Army commanders have approved a ‘plan to arm some Sunni Arab groups’. These groups have promised to fight “Al Qaeda”. Some anonymous US Army officers have said: this (or a similar) plan has been proven successful in Anbar Province. American officers have negotiated with Sunni Arab groups in four areas… especially (areas) in central and northern Iraq.
An anonymous source in Tikrit (Salah Ad Din) Province said: authorities in Tikrit have completed the formation of the “3rd Regiment of Salah Ad Din’s Salvation Forces”. (This Regiment will be) under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmed Al Rijja, a Sheikh of the Dulaim Tribe. This “3rd Regiment” has been named the “Jazeera Support Regiment…to pursue ‘Al Qaeda’.” The Jazeera area is an Al Qaeda occupied area of Salah Ad Din Province. This area (Jazeera) encompasses Lake ThirThar …and extends into Anbar Province.
A source confirmed that the first two “Regiments of Salah Ad Din’s Salvation Forces” were formed earlier this year. Those two regiments are deployed in eastern Salah Ad Din (Province)…between Tikrit and Tuz. These two Regiments are similar to the (Salvation) regiments which Anbar’s Salvation Council formed. The Anbar Salvation Council is an alliance of Sunni Arab tribes; and, it was formed in September 2006…in order to fight against Al Qaeda. The Anbar Salvation Council has been able to expel Al Qaeda from most areas of Anbar Province.
The idea to create “Salah Ad Din’s Salvation Forces” was rejected by a number of Salah Ad Din’s Tribal Sheikhs (the formation of these forces was not unanimous)… (It was) especially (objected to) by some Tribal Sheikhs in the areas of: Tikrit, Bayji, and Al Dor… These Sheikhs said that the formation of this (Salah Ad Din “Salvation”) Council will cause more sedition. Hamid Ibrahim Al Jabouri, who is a member of the Salah Ad Din “Salvation” Council, was attacked by insurgents only a few days after this Council was formed.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Dulaim Tribe, Hamid Ibrahim Al Jabouri, Jazeera Support Regiment, Jurf Al Sakhar, Salah Ad Din, Salvation Forces, Sheikh Ahmed Al Rijja, Sunni militant groups, tribal sheiks, U.S. military
Monday, June 11, 2007
American commanders start arming Sunni militants to fight Al Qaeda
Security
(International Herald Tribune) - With the four-month-old increase in American troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.
American commanders say they have successfully tested the strategy in Anbar Province west of Baghdad and have held talks with Sunni groups in at least four areas of central and north-central Iraq where the insurgency has been strong. In some cases, the American commanders say, the Sunni groups are suspected of involvement in past attacks on American troops or of links to such groups. Some of these groups, they say, have been provided, usually through Iraqi military units allied with the Americans, with arms, ammunition, cash, fuel and supplies.
American officers who have engaged in what they call outreach to the Sunni groups say many of them have had past links to Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia but grew disillusioned with the Islamic militants' extremist tactics, particularly suicide bombings that have killed thousands of Iraqi civilians. In exchange for American backing, these officials say, the Sunni groups have agreed to fight Al Qaeda and halt attacks on American units. Commanders who have undertaken these negotiations say that in some cases, Sunni groups have agreed to alert American troops to the location of roadside bombs and other lethal boobytraps.
But critics of the strategy, including some American officers, say it could amount to the Americans' arming both sides in a future civil war. The United States has spent more than $15 billion in building up Iraq's army and police force, whose manpower of 350,000 is heavily Shiite. With an American troop drawdown increasingly likely in the next year, and little sign of a political accommodation between Shiite and Sunni politicians in Baghdad, the critics say, there is a risk that any weapons given to Sunni groups will eventually be used against Shiites. There is also the possibility the weapons could be used against the Americans themselves.
American field commanders met this month in Baghdad with General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, to discuss the conditions Sunni groups would have to meet to win American assistance. Senior officers who attended the meeting said that Petraeus and the operational commander who is the second-ranking American officer here, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, gave cautious approval to field commanders to negotiate with Sunni groups in their areas.
One commander who attended the meeting said that despite the risks entailed in arming groups that have until now fought against the Americans, the potential gains against Al Qaeda were too great to be missed. He said the strategy held out the prospect of finally driving a wedge between two wings of the Sunni insurgency that had previously worked in a devastating alliance — die-hard loyalists of Saddam Hussein's formerly dominant Baath Party, and Islamic militants belonging to a constellation of Qaeda-linked groups.
(International Herald Tribune) - With the four-month-old increase in American troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.
American commanders say they have successfully tested the strategy in Anbar Province west of Baghdad and have held talks with Sunni groups in at least four areas of central and north-central Iraq where the insurgency has been strong. In some cases, the American commanders say, the Sunni groups are suspected of involvement in past attacks on American troops or of links to such groups. Some of these groups, they say, have been provided, usually through Iraqi military units allied with the Americans, with arms, ammunition, cash, fuel and supplies.
American officers who have engaged in what they call outreach to the Sunni groups say many of them have had past links to Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia but grew disillusioned with the Islamic militants' extremist tactics, particularly suicide bombings that have killed thousands of Iraqi civilians. In exchange for American backing, these officials say, the Sunni groups have agreed to fight Al Qaeda and halt attacks on American units. Commanders who have undertaken these negotiations say that in some cases, Sunni groups have agreed to alert American troops to the location of roadside bombs and other lethal boobytraps.
But critics of the strategy, including some American officers, say it could amount to the Americans' arming both sides in a future civil war. The United States has spent more than $15 billion in building up Iraq's army and police force, whose manpower of 350,000 is heavily Shiite. With an American troop drawdown increasingly likely in the next year, and little sign of a political accommodation between Shiite and Sunni politicians in Baghdad, the critics say, there is a risk that any weapons given to Sunni groups will eventually be used against Shiites. There is also the possibility the weapons could be used against the Americans themselves.
American field commanders met this month in Baghdad with General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, to discuss the conditions Sunni groups would have to meet to win American assistance. Senior officers who attended the meeting said that Petraeus and the operational commander who is the second-ranking American officer here, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, gave cautious approval to field commanders to negotiate with Sunni groups in their areas.
One commander who attended the meeting said that despite the risks entailed in arming groups that have until now fought against the Americans, the potential gains against Al Qaeda were too great to be missed. He said the strategy held out the prospect of finally driving a wedge between two wings of the Sunni insurgency that had previously worked in a devastating alliance — die-hard loyalists of Saddam Hussein's formerly dominant Baath Party, and Islamic militants belonging to a constellation of Qaeda-linked groups.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Sunni militant groups, U.S. military
