California Conservative

It certainly looks that way based on their initial response. AJ Strata thinks that this might be the turning point in the war. Let’s certainly hope so. Here’s what VOA is reporting on Sunni reaction to the assassination of Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha:

Sunni Arab mourners in western Iraq have called for revenge against al-Qaida at the funeral of Sunni tribal council leader Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, who was killed in a roadside bomb blast near his home Thursday.

Scores of Iraqi police and U.S. military vehicles lined the route of the funeral procession from the slain Sunni leader’s home in Ramadi to the burial grounds Friday.

Here’s how the Australian is reporting Abu Risha’s assassination:

Ahmed Abu Reesha, brother of the slain tribal chief, said yesterday: “We blame al-Qa’ida and we are going to continue our fight and avenge his death.”

Sheik Ahmed Abu Reesha was elected new leader of the Anbar Awakening Conference, the tribal coalition which has joined forces with US troops in fighting the Islamist group in the province.

Thousands of people gathered to attend the funeral yesterday.

The people of Anbar Province are extremely upset that AQI assassinated their leader. It doesn’t sound like they’ll turn the other cheek on this one. In fact, it sounds like AQI’s murderous actions are leading to its demise.

AQI initially flourished but that changed when Al-Zarqawi started killing Sunnis. Sunnis’ hatred for AQI deepened when AQI imposed Sharia law in Anbar Province, Diyala Province, Ramadi and Baqouba. Now AQI’s desperate attempt to hold onto power is defined by their assassination of Sheikh Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, the man considered to be the leader of the Anbar Awakening.

Considering the help AQI is giving in stiffening Iraqi resolve, it’s puzzling to me why Democrats think that national reconciliation isn’t possible. It’s that much more puzzling when you consider Maliki’s response:

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was represented by National Security Adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie, who condemned the killing. “It is a national Iraqi disaster. What Abu Reesha did for Iraq, no single man has done in the country’s history,” Mr Rubaie told the mourners.

Isn’t it logical to think that Sunnis will appreciate Maliki’s condemnation of AQI’s assassination of Abu Risha? Since it’s so logical to think that Sunnis will appreciate Maliki’s statement, why don’t Democrats think that this is Maliki’s opportunity to build a bridge to reconciliation?

Here’s how the BBC characterized the situation in Anbar:

Mourners chanted “We will take our revenge” and “There is no God but Allah and al-Qaeda is the enemy of Allah” as the procession continued to the family cemetery.

No group has said it carried out the attack but most believe it was the work of al-Qaeda.

Ahmed Abu Risha has been named as the tribal group’s new leader after the death of his brother. He told the Reuters news agency: “All the tribes agreed to fight al-Qaeda until the last child in Anbar.”

Sheikh Rashid Majid, a leader of the al-Bufahad tribe in Ramadi, said: “The killing will give us more energy…to continue confronting al-Qaeda members and to dispose of them.”

Democrats have said that Iraqis aren’t stepping up to the plate to defend their country. It’s obvious that that isn’t a problem in Anbar. In fact, it’s apparent that this assassination has re-stoked the fire of Anbar’s Sunnis. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to be an AQI terrorist in Anbar right now.

AQI had the backing of Sunni Muslims when they were perceived as being men of religion. That’s been exposed as a fallacy. They’ve been exposed as being nothing more than a clan of powermongers who only use religion as a recruiting tool. That won’t work anymore.

That’s why I’m confident that we’ll see bigger improvements in Iraq in the next 3-4 months. AQI has alienated the Iraqi people with their indiscriminate violence. Don’t be surprised if we look back 6 months or a year from now and think of this assassination as the last major turning point in Iraq’s reconciliation process.

Technorati Tags: AQI, Sunni Muslims, Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, Ramadi, Assassination, Anbar Province, Maliki, Democrats

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

This entry was posted on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 10:22 am and is filed under Author: Gary Gross, DNC, Iraq, Middle East, Terrorism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.