Posted on 02/17/2007 9:26:43 AM PST by Mount Athos
Sunni tribes in troubled Anbar province have begun working closely with U.S. and government forces, contributing nearly 2,400 men to the police department and 1,600 to a newly organized tribal security force, authorities say.
U.S. troops are training and equipping the new tribal forces, which are called Emergency Response Units (ERUs), and are charged with defending the areas where they live, according to the local U.S. commander.
By a U.S. count, 12 of the Ramadi area's 21 tribes are cooperating in the security effort, six are considered neutral, and three are actively hostile. That is almost the reverse of the tribal posture last June, when three were cooperative and 12 were hostile.
For nearly four years, the tribes around Ramadi survived by playing both sides, working with U.S. forces when it suited them, while at the same time helping or tolerating Sunni insurgent groups and al Qaeda in Iraq -- the terrorist organization once led by Jordanian Abu Musab Zarqawi.
That changed in August, according to U.S. Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, which has been responsible for security operations in Ramadi since June.
Al Qaeda in Iraq -- which has also turned its intimidation tactics on the tribal leaders -- kidnapped and killed Sheik Khalid of the Albu Ali Jassim tribe and left his body where it could not be found, preventing the family from burying him within 24 hours as prescribed by Muslim tradition.
"Al Qaeda overplayed its hand," Col. MacFarland said at his headquarters, a dusty base on the west side of Ramadi.
At a meeting that month, several sheiks drew up an 11-point declaration vowing to fight al Qaeda, within the rule of law, and declaring solidarity with coalition and government security forces.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Thanks for the post.
God bless our troops.
You mean we're winning without Iran and Syria helping us? Hard to believe.
Great. I don't know whether I should feel happy or sorry for all those Iraqis supporting us. The ghoulish democrats will do everything to throw them into the terrorists mass-graves.
God Bless those brave Iraqis.
Not a major issue.
Call me skeptical, but I don't expect this alliance to last very long.
Now our troops will have to keep one eye out for the enemy, and the other eye on their 'allies.'
Not a position I'd want to be in.
WOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
I dunno, that hand holding has held up with the Saudis 70 years and a few billion bbls later. You should under we were sticking to the Sunni's first because they are the true power players in Iraq. They are the historicall dominant minority. The same thing played out in the split muslim/christo lands of the Philippines after we routed Spain in 1899. We defeated the loyalist christians first and then joined with them to defeat their natural enemy the moro muslims. This time we exploit the sunni shia insecurity. We are offering to extend our security blanket to a wider swath of Sunnis. Hizballah is the best thing that ever happened to the USA.
That's exactly what Democrats do! The DNC should start holding election fund raisers in Ramadi for the 2008 election. Birds of a feather.
ping
To you ??
It's not an issue with me at all. It's not a major issue overall. Lots of musselmans have gone unburied over the centuries as they were always off somewhere having wars and leaving widows wondering if they were widows and could remarry.
I'll agree with this, my oldest boy has already served 3 tours there (probably going on another one in the spring/summer), and he said that there is a lot of progress going on over there. Too bad all we see in the news about the area is the destruction.
It will last as long as it suits them. When they feel they are in a better position, they'll try take advantage of it. It's always the same old crap in that part of the world, hasn't changed in 1400 years, since Mohammad brought the cult of death into that part of the world
Allah, the perfect god for thieves, rapists, pedophiles, murderers and liars. He made booty lawful and good, as well as the most bloodiest means of aquiring it is lawful and good in ..er.. Allah's eyes.
Al Qaeda helps too because an insecure muslim is a muslim looking for American help. We play fair at the end of the day. We play fair. You have to really frustrate us for us to lose faith in our inate advantage of openess and freedom. China and Russia have played more to the Shia. They'll lose cuz we have more to offer and we are better at projecting power than either Russia or China. If the hippies overplay their hand they are going to get a mouthful of response 70's plumbers union style. People are waiting until the demoidiots actually try and vote funds down for our wars. Then I will personally meet some of those f-ing idiots in the streets to protest. We don't even have a goddamn draft. these people are really pushing it.
with greatest respect, you're still going with Paul for President?
We can pull the rugs out from under the Islamofacists and the terorists.
Understand this. So far it's been peaceful dissent. When it becomes something that hurts funding for the troops the rubicon gets passed for some people. You have to believe it. Too much blood and sweat have been poured into this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.