Posted on 09/29/2006 7:56:37 AM PDT by jmc1969
Western Iraq's powerful sheikhs have launched an offensive against foreign Al-Qaeda extremists on their territory, they have said, in an important victory for the US-backed government.
"The operation is on!" said Sheikh Abdel Sattar Baziya, head of the Abu Risha clan and chair of the Anbar province tribal council. "The sons of Anbar's tribes today captured three Saudis, two Syrians and three Iraqi teenagers and turned them over to police," he told AFP Friday.
This is not the first time that Anbar province's Sunni tribes have pledged to turn over the Sunni insurgents in their midst, but US officers are privately delighted that they now seem to be making good on their promise.
The supposed leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Muhajer, tacitly confirmed this Thursday in an Internet plea for Iraqi tribesmen to rejoin his forces in their battle with the "infidels".
On Wednesday, the tribes met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and agreed to cooperate on security in lawless Anbar, the province which accounts for the majority of US casualties in Iraq. "We agreed to enroll as many of the tribesmen in the police and army as possible," said Baziya. "We proposed to the government projects to save the province."
One coalition intelligence official said that the difference now is that the tribesmen realize that they cannot confront Al-Qaeda on their own.
He too, however, acknowledged the fickle nature of Anbar's tribes, which tend to put their own interests well above those of any particular nation or ideal. "Let's face it, there are Anbar tribes that are settling old scores. There are Anbar guys who are basically looking to re-establish order," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Bush's fault, of course.
The supposed leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Muhajer, tacitly confirmed this Thursday in an Internet plea for Iraqi tribesmen to rejoin his forces in their battle with the "infidels".
The AQ leader has given the Iraqi tribes until after Rahmadan(sp) to comply or face the consequences.
NO! NO! NO!
Do not turn them over to the police! Kill them on the spot!
Turn them over to police. The Iraqi interrogators will not have the likes of McVain, Arlen Sphincter and Limpsey Graham breathing over their shoulders.
They must being having a helluva time taking care of business over there.
Funky juxtaposition of modern life!
I weep for them
/s
OK, I stand corrected.
Interrogate the _ _ _ _ out of 'em...and then kill them!
It makes sense, and its a good overarching thing... but it does have drawbacks... Tribal Leaders need to be committed to federalist cause in Iraq, not just self preservation...
Will these tribes give up their arms and submit to the federal government when the time comes? Will their be enough on the table for them to warrent giving up some of their power and unite behind it?
I think there will be, but we aren't there yet, and that's what its going to take to make Iraq work. Afghanistan has the same general problem.... Governments influence must expand beyond a central location to all of the nation and be respected and accepted.
I believe this will happen in Iraq, but until we stop these idiots from other nations pouring in to simply rabble rouse, its going to continue to be a hinderance.
Afghanistan, free from much of this now, as the focus by the jihadists is Iraq, basically needs to work on expanding federal influence and control. Its rather depressing that all these years on, this goal still seems long off... But given the nature of that nation over the last 1/2 century, its not overly suprising that its taking time. Will Karzai be their Arthur? I don't know...
"There are folks who are out there basically looking to basically rearm themselves for a variety of purposes," he added. "The motivations here are not pure and you've got to work your way through this process."
Those who claim we'll never understand the middle east should take note that this time we have our eyes wide open. The motivations of the Iraqi government and the "Anbar guys" may not be the same, but at least it's a common goal. And that's a start.
It's a quagmire.
Good point - see my post #14. They have more than a half century to overcome; they have several thousand years of historical tribalism to try to work into the fabric of a central non-dictatorial government system. And it may take the remainder of the older generation's lifetime before that's fully realized. Hope for a better future may be recognized by the older generation, but will be actually accomplished by the next one.
Kewl news ping. Here's hoping today is a very new day in Iraq....
Good news indeed.
Now those are what I call some real men.
Freedom!!!
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