Posted on 05/03/2007 4:55:58 PM PDT by ASC2006
The Anbar Salvation Council, the group of tribal leaders and former Sunni insurgents, continues to expand its base of support in the Sunni community both inside Anbar province, and beyond. Sam Dagher of the Christian Science Monitor reports on a major development in Anbar province.
The Anbar Salvation Council, led by Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Rishawi, has turned the Albu Fahd tribe against al Qaeda. The Albu Fahd was one of the six original Anbari tribes to support al Qaeda and its Islamic State in Iraq. These six tribes are known in some military intelligence circles as the "Sinister Six". The Albu Fahd [described as the Bu-Fahed] has now joined the Anbar Salvation Council and pledged to throw its weight behind the fight against al Qaeda.
"Winning over the Bu-Fahed tribe was a coup," said Mr. Dagher, who covered the tribal meeting where the Albu Fahd moved into the camp of the Anbar Salvation Council. "It had been one of Al Qaeda's staunchest supporters, and traces its lineage to the birthplace of the puritan form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism in the Saudi Arabian province of Najd. It formally threw its lot behind Sheikh Abdel-Sattar Abu Risha."
As of last September, the leadership of 25 of the 31 Anbari tribes were cooperating with the government under the aegis of the Anbar Salvation Council, while six folded under the black banner of al Qaeda in Iraq's Islamic State. Two of the other original sinister six tribes are the Albu Issa and the al-Zuba'a, however both tribes are split in their support. Elements of the Albu Issa have battled against al Qaeda in and around Fallujah. The Zuba'a were split and elements fought al Qaeda after the assassination against Sheikh Thahir al-Dhari, a tribal leader, and the attempt against Salam al-Zubaie, one of Iraq's two Deputy Prime Ministers.
The Albu Fahd tribe is a member of the Dulaimi Confederation, the largest and most powerful grouping in Iraq. We noted the shift in the Albu Fahd tribe was occurring in March, and reported that Mohammed Mahmoud Latif (aka Mahmoud al-Fahdawi) is a leader of the Anbar Salvation Council. Latif/al-Fahdawi was described by Azzaman in early March as a "chieftain of the powerful Dulaimi tribe" and "head of Dulaimis in Tarmiya, Dhaloiya, Balad and Taji, some of the most violent areas in Iraq, [who was] reported to have ordered his tribesmen to wage war on Qaeda."
Al-Fahdawi's efforts seem to be snowballing in Diyala province. Yesterday, two Diyala tribes, the Karki and Shimouri, "signed a peace agreement at the home of the Mujema tribal leader in Diyala province, Monday," and "promised to 'consolidate and unify to battle all insurgents that penetrate among [their] tribes.'” Seven other tribes announced joining the Anbar Salvation Council in late April. The Anbar Salvation Council's national political movement, the Iraqi Awakening, is set to meet in Baghdad in May. And most surprisingly, the Adhamiya Awakening has been established in the troubled Baghdad neighborhood to fight against al Qaeda.
Al-Fahdawi appear to have engineered a revolt by the 1920s Revolution Brigades against al Qaeda in Iraq in the city of Baqubah, the provincial capital of Iraq. Todd Pittman of the Associated Press describes the recent fighting in Baqubah, and successful U.S. efforts to oust al Qaeda from the Tahrir neighborhood. "For eight days in early April, al-Qaida battled fellow insurgents from the nationalist 1920 Revolution Brigades, who residents said were trying to resist the terror group's bid for control. The nationalist fighters ran out of ammunition and fled," noted Mr. Pittman
This follows the news that the Anbar Salvation Council struck at al Qaeda beyond its provincial boundaries against al Qaeda in Iraq's leader, Abu Ayyub al Masri, near Taji in Salahadin province. While the Anbar Salvation Council claimed to have killed al Masri, this has yet to be confirmed. The Anbar Salvation Council is clearly organizing resistance against al Qaeda's attempts to establish its Taliban-like Islamist Caliphate in Iraq's Sunni heartlands.
Tribes.
Freaking animals.
Welcome to FR. Interesting post.
What a primitive culture. Jurassic park.
Could this be the beginning of the end of the so-called “insurgency”?
I think so
If the USA was convinced that Iraq would not fall into the hands of Al Quaeda, nor into the hands of Iran or Iranian puppets, we’d pack our #%^#$%^ as quick as we could and leave. Perhaps the Sunnis have finally realized that fact.
I still wonder if a deal isn’t in the works somehow that would partition Iraq into 3 parts — Kurdistan, a Sunni part, and a shiite-ty part.
I think maybe the threat of the dems pulling out rhetoric might be making these people to wise up. If the Americans leave a real civil war is in the future for them.
“I think maybe the threat of the dems pulling out rhetoric might be making these people to wise up.”
My Dem Senator, Levin, said as much. However, his office fully expects us to be there for at least 2 more years. Remember, his district (Michigan) would be very had hit — devastated — if the middle east oil supply died up.
The dems finally realized what I’d been saying for months... that we’ll be in Iraq past the next election, that their rhetoric on the war will cost them the election, and if they do win, they’ll have to govern with a promise to retreat.
Actually, I’ve always thought a 3-way partition was the way to go with some sort of oil-revenue sharing plan behind it. I really don’t think the three groups can get along at this point. Perhaps a generation down the road, but not now. The US and other countries interested in promoting real peace in Iraq (and the region) should begin to seriously advance such proposals.
Yea, the sandal is on the other foot when it’s their blood and their treasure.
I wonder what would happen if they woke up tomorrow and we were gone. It would be fun having a couple of drones taking video of that. You know, the Democrats may have swerved into a humorous idea for once.
Wonder how long it would take Iraqis to learn to speak Iranian or Syrian. Better they have to slave for these countries than have their own country and be shooting at our troops.
Sometimes you have to wonder if these idiots stop to thing what they are doing. Any more, I really don’t care as long as they are not doing it to our people; i.e., screw them and stronger message to follow.
bump for later read
Have you seen this?
ping, bump and mark
ping to self when more time.
And I thought GW has been trying(4 years) to get the Sunni’s and Shiite to step up and take some responsibility. Wow, the power of the Dhiimi’s. Even creeps in here at FR.
We had a word for that in the Army, and the first half was cluster....!
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