ANBAR PROVINCE: MIXED NEWS

NPR's Morning Edition had an interesting story (audio) about the Sunni tribes in Anbar Province.

The good news is that many of them have turned against Al Qaeda¹:

(excerpts)

STEVE INSKEEP, host:In Iraq's Anbar province we've been hearing about a surprising development. Iraqi tribes have teamed up with the U.S. military to fight al-Qaida.

AMOS: The fight has been raging for months with the backing of the U.S. military. Why it started is less clear.

Mr. SALEH AL-MUTLAQ (National Dialogue Front): Al-Qaida went too far, so al-Qaida lost the support of the Sunnis.

AMOS: It is a blood feud, says Saleh al-Mutlaq, a Sunni member of Iraq's parliament.

Mr. AL-MUTLAQ: They targeted some of the very popular people among Al Anbar. They even targeted some of the resistance there. And also they wanted to enforce some of their religious source on the others. And people started to be against them.

AMOS: Others say the breach was over tribal customs. It was very personal. Al-Qaida members insisted tribal allies hand over their daughters and sisters in marriage, but it's a tribal that have taboo to marry outsiders.

Sheikh MAJID ABDUL RASAQ SOLIMAN (Dulaimi Tribe): Hello?

AMOS: Sheikh Majid Abdul Rasaq Soliman, one of the leaders of the Dulaimi tribe in Anbar, says he turned against al-Qaida because of the unrelenting violence.

The bad news is that the tribes still don't want the Americans in Iraq and are still against the Iraqi government:

AMOS: Sheikh Majid is a prince of the Dulaimi confederation, a hereditary title which makes him one of the leaders of the largest tribal organizations in Anbar. He carries out his responsibilities now with a cell phone, in constant contact with Anbar province from his villa in the Jordanian capital. Sheikh Madrid fled the Iraq in 2005, he says, after al-Qaida tried to kill him.

AMOS: Sheikh Majid approved the tribal war with al-Qaida and the new alliance with the U.S. military. But his views reflect the central dilemma in the U.S. strategy. The Sheikh says he does not support the U.S. occupation or the Iraqi government in Baghdad. He just hates al-Qaida more. He makes it clear his alliance with the Americans is a temporary thing, an alliance of convenience. Anyway, he says, the Americans will eventually go home. His long-term project, to defeat the Shiite dominated government in Baghdad, which he believes serves Iran's interest. Sheikh Majid is convinced when the Americans leave, Iran will step in.

Sheikh MAJID: (Through translator) The Iranian occupation will not leave. The Iranian politics should be eliminated because it's like cancer in the region.

AMOS: The Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad is worried and is raising questions about the U.S. alliance with the Sunni tribes, asking why the U.S. military is arming another militia. The Iraqi government is certain if al-Qaida is defeated, it will be the next target.

The day before² All Things Considered (audio) had another piece on Anbar and it seems that we really are winning some "hearts and minds":

(excerpts)

RACHEL MARTIN: In recent years, the Sunni sheikhs of al-Anbar province have had a hard time telling their friends from their enemies. After the Americans overthrew the Saddam regime, many sheikhs viewed the U.S. as an occupation force, and they shouldered up with al-Qaida and other insurgent groups fighting the Americans. But when it became clear that al-Qaida wanted to impose a radical brand of Islam on the province, many of the sheikhs cut ties with the insurgents. Al- Qaida pushed back, attacking the sheiks and their families. So many, like Sheikh Ali Amer Suleiman whose oldest son was killed by al-Qaida, fled the province.

Seventy-five-year-old Amer is one of two leaders of the Dulaimi confederation, an umbrella group for roughly 40 major tribes in the province. The last time the two men met was in Jordan over dinner. Today, the sheikh and the general greet each other like old friends.

Sheikh ALI AMER SULEIMAN (Sunni Leader, Dulaimi Confederation): It is good to see you back in Anbar.

Brigadier General JOHN ALLEN (Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces in al-Anbar): It is my honor to see you again.

Brig. Gen. ALLEN: In the counterinsurgency struggle, you can only kill your way so far to victory. We are now passed that point.

MARTIN: Last fall, about a dozen tribal leaders here formed a group called the Anbar Salvation Council. And they signed a pact to fight al-Qaida. The sheikhs have recruited thousands of men for the Iraqi police and army and provided intelligence to U.S. officials about al-Qaida. In exchange, the military helps them get water treatment centers and medical clinics and more personal benefits like business contracts.

MARTIN: U.S. commanders in Anbar acknowledged that rebuilding the provincial capital Ramadi and other parts of the province will be key to preserving relations with the sheikhs. The U.S. has already pumped $50 million into Anbar in the past year. But some sheikhs, like Sattar Abu Risha, say reconstruction is moving too slowly and unemployment is still around 60 percent.

Sheikh SATTAR ABU RISHA (Sunni Leader): (Through translator) Reconstruction must be a priority. We have many factories that we need to fix so people can work. That way, we can provide everybody with a job. So when a terrorist comes and tries to entice someone with money to plant an IED, he will refuse.

MARTIN: Ramadi is slowly starting to crawl out from the rubble of years of warfare. There is still violence here. Military officials say Iraqi and American forces combined had taken more than 1,000 casualties in the past four months. But overall, the province is safer. U.S. officials talk about trying to replicate what's happened in Anbar throughout Iraq. But Allen is quick to point out that the relative stability here has less to do with U.S. operations and more to do with the nature of this province.

Brig. Gen. ALLEN: When your population base is 90 to 98 percent Sunni, and is largely out of one tribal confederation, there is an advantage to that social dynamic, which probably isn't exportable, if you want the term, or can be replicated elsewhere.

¹National Public Radio (NPR)
SHOW: Morning Edition 11:00 AM EST
June 19, 2007 Tuesday
LENGTH: 791 words
HEADLINE: Iraqi Tribes in Anbar Team with U.S. Military
ANCHORS: STEVE INSKEEP

²National Public Radio (NPR)
SHOW: All Things Considered 8:00 PM EST
June 18, 2007 Monday
LENGTH: 1235 words
HEADLINE: Shaky Alliance With Sheikhs Tempers Violence in Iraq
ANCHORS: MICHELE NORRIS, ANDREA SEABROOK