Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Leader of 1920 Revolution Brigades killed
Insurgency
(AP) - A military leader of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, a major Sunni Arab insurgent group, was killed Tuesday west of Baghdad, the group announced in an Internet statement. A local official confirmed the death of Harith Dhaher al-Dhari, saying he died when rocket-propelled grenades hit his car and an accompanying vehicle in the Abu Ghraib district. Two associates also died, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
The U.S. military, however, said al-Dhari was killed when two suicide car bombers targeted a house in the Abu Ghraib area. Three bodies were found by U.S. troops, it said. The district official also blamed the attack on al-The authenticity of the brief statement could not be verified but it appeared on a site that routinely publishes militant literature.
The killing of al-Dhari is likely to deepen the increasingly bloody rift between government-backed opponents of al-Qaida and supporters of the terror group in the Sunni Arab communities west of Baghdad. Government-backed tribal militias have been trying to chase al-Qaida fighters out of the vast province, and al-Qaida has responded with bomb attacks on leaders and key supporters of the tribes allied against them.
The 1920 Revolution Brigades has consistently been rumored to have taken part in talks with American and Iraqi officials, which are believed to have been deadlocked over the demand that insurgents lay down their arms and join the political process.
Al-Dhari's father is the sheik of al-Zuba'a tribe in Abu Ghraib. Also a member of this tribe is Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie, who was seriously wounded Friday when a suicide bomber blew up his vest of explosives at the prayer room of his Baghdad home. The Islamic State in Iraq, an al-Qaida-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack on al-Zubaie, which killed nine people.
In separate statements, al-Dhari was mourned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab party, and by the Association of Muslim Scholars, a radical Sunni group led by the slain leader's uncle, Harith al-Dhari.
Both groups have long been suspected of maintaining links to Sunni Arab insurgent groups. The Islamic Party, however, is widely viewed as a force of moderation within the Sunni Arab minority, which is deeply embittered by the loss of its domination under Saddam Hussein. The association, by contrast, has grown increasingly militant.
The U.S. military, however, said al-Dhari was killed when two suicide car bombers targeted a house in the Abu Ghraib area. Three bodies were found by U.S. troops, it said. The district official also blamed the attack on al-The authenticity of the brief statement could not be verified but it appeared on a site that routinely publishes militant literature.
The killing of al-Dhari is likely to deepen the increasingly bloody rift between government-backed opponents of al-Qaida and supporters of the terror group in the Sunni Arab communities west of Baghdad. Government-backed tribal militias have been trying to chase al-Qaida fighters out of the vast province, and al-Qaida has responded with bomb attacks on leaders and key supporters of the tribes allied against them.
The 1920 Revolution Brigades has consistently been rumored to have taken part in talks with American and Iraqi officials, which are believed to have been deadlocked over the demand that insurgents lay down their arms and join the political process.
Al-Dhari's father is the sheik of al-Zuba'a tribe in Abu Ghraib. Also a member of this tribe is Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie, who was seriously wounded Friday when a suicide bomber blew up his vest of explosives at the prayer room of his Baghdad home. The Islamic State in Iraq, an al-Qaida-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack on al-Zubaie, which killed nine people.
In separate statements, al-Dhari was mourned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab party, and by the Association of Muslim Scholars, a radical Sunni group led by the slain leader's uncle, Harith al-Dhari.
Both groups have long been suspected of maintaining links to Sunni Arab insurgent groups. The Islamic Party, however, is widely viewed as a force of moderation within the Sunni Arab minority, which is deeply embittered by the loss of its domination under Saddam Hussein. The association, by contrast, has grown increasingly militant.
Labels: Al Qaeda, al-Zobaie tribe, Harith Dhaher al-Dhari, Iraqi Islamic Party, Muslim Scholars Association, the 1920 Revolution Brigades
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Al-Zobaie tribes attack al-Qaeda in retaliation for assassination attempt
Security, Tribal, Insurgency
(Al Sabbah) - Sources from the Abu Ghraib area said that the Zauba'a (al-Zobaie) tribes attacked Al-Qaeda in revenge for the attempted assassination attempt on Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Salam Zauba'ai which killed his son.Tribal sources from Abu Ghraib, Zedan town and Falluja's A'amreia said that fighting broke out between members of the Zauba'a tribe and groups of al-Qaeda in Iraq, which resulted in the death of armed men with other Arabic nationalities.
Labels: Abu Ghraib, al-Zobaie tribe, Fallujah, Minister Dr. Salam Zauba'ai
Anbar Awakening Sheik in assassination attempt
Tribal, Security
(Reuters) - A tribal leader in Abu Ghraib west of Baghdad was the target of an attack on Tuesday involving two blasts that killed his son and wounded at least one more person, relatives and a provincial official said. Sheikh Thahir al-Dari's son was killed in a double car bombing, and there were several more casualties, said Ahmed al-Dulaimi, head of the provincial council media office in Anbar.
However a relative of the sheikh, who is a member of a group of tribes who have formed an alliance against al Qaeda, said the son was killed when a rocket propelled grenade hit the car he was in. Another person was wounded in the car. Dari is the head of the al-Zobaie tribe, to which Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobaie belongs. The deputy prime minister was the target of an assassination bid last week.
Suicide bombers have targeted a number of tribal leaders in the anti-Qaeda alliance amid a growing struggle in Anbar between the militant group and tribes who oppose it. Zobaie was wounded in last week's attack at his home in Baghdad. An aide said that suicide bomber was one of his own guards and said the tribe was itself divided between those loyal to the government and those supporting al Qaeda. Zobaie's office said on Tuesday he had recovered and might be discharged from the U.S. military hospital later on Tuesday.
However a relative of the sheikh, who is a member of a group of tribes who have formed an alliance against al Qaeda, said the son was killed when a rocket propelled grenade hit the car he was in. Another person was wounded in the car. Dari is the head of the al-Zobaie tribe, to which Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobaie belongs. The deputy prime minister was the target of an assassination bid last week.
Suicide bombers have targeted a number of tribal leaders in the anti-Qaeda alliance amid a growing struggle in Anbar between the militant group and tribes who oppose it. Zobaie was wounded in last week's attack at his home in Baghdad. An aide said that suicide bomber was one of his own guards and said the tribe was itself divided between those loyal to the government and those supporting al Qaeda. Zobaie's office said on Tuesday he had recovered and might be discharged from the U.S. military hospital later on Tuesday.
COMMENT: There have been several attacks on tribal leaders who have turned against Al-Qaeda. These are likely to continue. However, most of the tribal leaders have had enough of Al-Qaeda and large civilian casualties caused by them as well as loss of their own family members and are likely to continue fighting against them. Their cooperation with Iraqi and U.S. security forces has strengthened the coalition and encouraged many young men to join the security forces in their areas. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Abu Ghraib, al-Zobaie tribe, Anbar Awakening, Sheikh Thahir al-Dari
