Most Tribes in Anbar Agree to Unite Against Insurgents (The NY Times is deeply sadened)

NY Times ^ | September 18, 2006 | KHALID AL-ANSARY and ALI ADEEB

[jmc1969]

Nearly all the tribes from Iraq’s volatile Sunni-dominated Anbar Province have agreed to join forces and fight Al Qaeda insurgents and other foreign-backed “terrorists,” an influential tribal leader said Sunday. Iraqi government leaders encouraged the movement.

Twenty-five of about 31 tribes in Anbar, a vast, mostly desert region that stretches westward from Baghdad to the borders of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have united against insurgents and gangs that are “killing people for no reason,” said the tribal leader, Sheik Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi.

“We held a meeting earlier and agreed to fight those who call themselves mujahadeen,” Mr. Rishawi said in an interview. “We believe that there is a conspiracy against our Iraqi people. Those terrorists claimed that they are fighters working on liberating Iraq, but they turned out to be killers. Now all the people are fed up and have turned against them.”

It is unclear how quickly or forcefully the tribal fighters will confront Al Qaeda and other insurgents, who mostly operate in and around the provincial capital, Ramadi, despite recurrent American military efforts to stop them. But for American and Iraqi officials, who have tried to persuade the Sunni Arab majority in Anbar to reject the insurgency and embrace Iraqi nationalism, Mr. Rishawi’s comments are seen as an encouraging sign.

“We are in battle with the terrorists who kill Sunnis and Shiites, and we do not respect anyone between us who talks in a sectarian sense,” said Mr. Rishawi, the leader of the Rishawi tribe, a subset of the Dulaimi tribe, the largest in Anbar. Half the Rishawi are Shiite Arabs and half are Sunni, he said.

[Allegra]

OK, that's the second positive news article about Iraq I've seen on here in the last ten minutes.

Y'all are going to get in SO much trouble. ;-)

Does this mean I can stay home now and let these positive stories do the truthtelling?

[patriciaruth]

FYI ping.

[Marine_Uncle]

What is sad it has taken them so long to start slowly walking away from the stuck on stupid mentalities. For three years the United States and other forces have shown them we do not rule over them, we do not plan on taking their oil, and we do more good then Saddam did in thirty plus years.
But alas. Better late then never. Things are probably going so well that Coffee man has had to butt in and say more should be done to prevent a civil war.
Much like Hanoi John did when he plagerized time frames the DoD put in writing long before the goon even knew we would downsize in given time frames based on ground conditions.
At any rate. Yes. Iraqi are awakening in large numbers by the look of things. They are no longer going along with their ancient stupidities. Opportunities now knock at their door like never before offered.

[Peach]

Twenty-five of about 31 tribes in Anbar, a vast, mostly desert region that stretches westward from Baghdad to the borders of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have united against insurgents and gangs that are “killing people for no reason,” said the tribal leader, Sheik Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi.

What terrific news; I was almost losing hope.

[Just mythoughts]

Good news ping.... thanks

[prairiebreeze]

Bump for later read and thanks for the ping Peach