Kuwaiti Analyst View On Al Sahwa

I heard many says that the US has the main role in putting security in Iraq, esepcially, with the clearly witnessed decline in violence, particurly in Baghdad. One Kuwaiti analyst was interviewed on Al Jazeera TV channel today said that the emergence of Al Sahwa, a movement started from the western provice of Anbar, and spread into other Iraqi provinces, such as Mousel and Baghdad to fight Al Qaeda, is mainly due to US support and encouragment. I don't know if this is the same support and encouragment the US offered, which empowered the Shiite militias couple of years ago.

However, this Kuwaiti analyst is entitled to his own point of view but he is in fact denying Iraqis the credit of trying to make their country's future better! This to include reconsuliation and free its cities and villages from outsiders and occupiers. One other thing, this analyst is forgetting that part of the problem in Iraq is the US itself, so how can a problem can be solved with the use of another problem?

Know Your Enemy

Interview With Sheikh Ali Hatem Al Sleiman (Updated)

Following are excerpts from an interview with Sheikh Ali Hatem Ali Sleiman of the Al-Anbar Salvation Council, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on September 24, 2007.

Ali Hatem Ali Seliman: We must distinguish between the noble and courageous resistance and those reckless, filthy people, who have come here – each with hair down to his knees. Brother, we must distinguish between black and white. In Iraq, the word "resistance" has become derogatory, because of the confusion in terms. It's best to speak out so that everybody in Iraq knows: The Al-Anbar Salvation Council, the Al-Anbar tribes and their military wing, and all the good people of Al-Anbar have never brandished their weapons against any patriot fighting the occupation. By Allah, this has never happened. We have used our weapons only against those extremist, filthy people, who have created this confusion, and made the world view us with contempt. Our role is to deal a blow to Al-Qaeda and the militias, wherever they may be. The militias, by the way, also play a role in Iraq, when it comes to the displacement of people and mass murder.
[...]
Ali Hatem Ali Seliman: Let the American president know that when the heroes of the Iraq tribes... Neither he nor Rice – that sheep who drove our people out of their homes – nor anybody else will be able to enter Al-Anbar, when the people of Al-Anbar get the province and all of Iraq on their feet.
[...]
Ali Hatem Ali Seliman: [The Americans say]: "Our forces liberated Al-Anbar." What, your forces liberated Al-Anbar?! With all due respect, that is disgraceful. What, your forces are capable of liberating Al-Anbar? Your forces got into trouble, just like us. The American army got into several problems: It should be in charge of traffic, it should be in charge of building, whatever. We all got into trouble because of the democracy of the "effendi" Bush. [Bush] was not welcome in Al-Anbar. No one knew he was coming for a visit. It does not honor us in any way to host someone like that. We have nothing to do with him. Politically, we have people who represent us on the Al-Anbar Awakening Council and the Al-Anbar Salvation Council. Let them reach understandings with [the Americans]. We have nothing to do with any politician – not the president and not politicians of lower rank.
[...]
Ali Hatem Ali Seliman: By Allah, shame on people who say that the Al-Qaeda members are Iraqis. Them, Iraqis? Who attacked us? Weren't we attacked from Dhahran and the other Saudi airfields? Weren't we attacked by American missiles and planes which came from Arab countries? Those despicable people should be ashamed of themselves. All they have learned is to say meaningless things. They should stop exporting their Salafis... Not Salifis, I mean those extremists, who were sent to Iraq to wage Jihad. Let them wage Jihad in their own countries. Syria is occupied by Israel, and the Arab countries are occupied by American and foreign bases.
[...]
Ali Hatem Ali Seliman: Listen, my friend, let me tell you one thing. I swear by God that whoever sets a foot on Iraqi soil and dares to insult us and our honor – we will wipe the floor with him, get it?
[...]
Interviewer: Sheik, from where do you get all your aid, money, and weapons?
Ali Hatem Ali Seliman: Oh, do me a favor! The Saudis know all about the weapons we have. Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan have complained about [weapon] smuggling. In the days of Saddam, even helicopters were smuggled. Four-barrel and single-barrel missile launchers, mortar, rockets, PKCs – we tribes have all that. Brother, we don't have to beg anyone for these weapons. As for finances, what has the Iraqi government ever given us? I challenge anybody who says that I took a single dirham. Some time ago, on Al-Arabiya TV, or perhaps it was your channel, that black woman from the American embassy said that they were allocating 26 billion dollars to support the tribes. I don't want their billions, and we didn't get a single dirham from them.

The link to the whole interview is here (Arabic)

I watched Sheikh Ali on a number of occasions and on different Arab channels. His concept is simple: the unity of Iraq, purging Al Qaeda elements from other Iraqi provinces, but this is new, by confirming that "the Awakenning" of Al Anbar province was independent from any US support, or let me say, it is the first time I hear / read Sheikh Ali mentioning the issue of US support in that context.

Update: below is another video interview with Al Jazeera

Easy To Take Baghdad Back!

I read today a very article on the New Yorker I read today. In it, not a lot of new to what we know has been unveiled, but the most interesting part from that article is related to the interview with Sheikh Zaidan al-Awad, a tribal leader from Anbar. The Sheikh answered the questions about the purpose Iraqi tribes had a change of heart towards the Americans. He replied that "“We’ve already taken our revenge,” he said. “We’re the ones who’ve made them crawl on their stomachs, and now we’re the ones to pick them up.” He added, “Once Anbar is settled, we must take control of Baghdad, and we will.” There would have to be a lot more fighting before the capital was taken back from the Shiites, he said. “The Anbaris will take charge of the purge. What the whole world failed to do in Anbar, we have done overnight. Baghdad will be a lot easier.”

Is this a talk from strength point of view, or is it just some kind of mockery? Taking into the consideration Al Mahdi Army emergence after the end of the security plan very soon, and the rise of an equal Sunni force in the west, extending towards Baghdad, is that Sheikh trying to say that a real Civil War is destined to be taking place in Baghdad? What does he mean by saying that the capital will be taken back from the Shiites? or is it just translation fault?

Is this the fate of the Iraqi people? everytime they start to immitate normal life after bloodshed, another warning comes out from the east or from the west to remind them that they shouldn't forget that Iraq is not for the Iraqis?!!

Salvation For All Iraq, Not Only Anbar!

I don’t know if the the Anbar Salvation Council has its hand with the events in Al Adhamiya neighborhood in Baghdad, but according to Ahmed Abdul Ghafoor al-Samarai, head of the Sunni Endowment, all Al Qaeda elements have been drawn out from the neighborhood, after two nights of fierce fighting. Al-Samarai is also calling upon shop owners and people from the neighborhood to persume their normal daily life! The Anbar Salvation Council is well known for their success in fighting Al Qaeda and dislodge its members out of the whole westeren province of Al Anbar - it remains a point of argument if this this victory fully credited to the council or is it shared based on logestic and military support and cooperation from American forces! Despite speculations in this regards! In addition, since April 2007, the council publicly announced strong desire to help out other provinces and cities to achieve the same goal. They requested that formally from Prime Minister Maliki on numerous occasions and times, however, no official reply from the Iraqi government was received. The reason maybe from Maliki’s part is the fear from transforming this group of tribal fighters into another sort of militias that would trigger further complication to the already complicated situation. I don't know, but maybe the Iraqi prime minister believes that each tribe should move within its boundaries and not anything else! I might be wrong! However, by observing the political scene in Iraq, one can see that the Anbar Salvation Council is acting faster than anyone can anticipate. This has been illustrated by the visit of a delegation of tribes from Al Anbar province to tribes from Al Qadisiyah province a couple of days ago. I hate to say it, but for non-iraqis, Al Anbar tribes are Sunni, and Al Qadisiyah tribes are Shiite.

I won't give the Anbar Salvation Council a bigger altitude but there are a number of points to be taken into the consideration: the Anbar Salvation Council is the only group in Iraq that calls loudly and clearly for perserving Iraq's unity, by forseeing federal state solution as a roadmap towards division - Others see it differently, such as the Kurds and Al Hakim's SIIC. In addition, they want Iraq to be ruled by one leader, they want a strong government that everyone stand behind, and put their trust and safety in their hand - for that reason maybe they vow to stand behind the current government in dealing with the violence that eating up every neighborhood, city and province. Above all, the Anbar Salvation Council realised their fatal mistake when they allowed "aliens" to Iraq's culture, heritage, social background and beliefs to take over control. There are who considered the council as being traitors to the cause of ressisting the occupier, because they used to fight the American occupier, and now they took another position, but that is what I consider the strength point of the council; they have the power and ability to take things into their hands. The US forces were not successful in combating them in the past, yet, the council succeeded to combat whom they see as the most dangerous element to their existence on the country of their ancestors.