Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The most prominent figure in a US-backed revolt of Sunni sheikhs against al-Qaeda in Iraq was killed on Thursday by a bomb planted near his home in Anbar province, 10 days after he met President Bush, police and tribal leaders said.
Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha was leader of the Anbar Salvation Council, also known as the Anbar Awakening — an alliance of clans backing the Iraqi government and US forces.
The death of the charismatic young sheikh dealt a blow to American efforts to recruit tribal leaders to fight the terror network.
The White House, preparing for Bush’s Iraq speech to the nation Thursday night, called his death an “unfortunate and outrageous act,” but said it was not a setback because other sheikhs have said the killing would not deter them from working with the United States against al-Qaeda. It also said it believed al-Qaeda in Iraq was responsible.
Abu Risha and two of his bodyguards were killed by a roadside bomb planted near the tribal leader’s home in the provincial capital of Ramadi, said Col Tareq Youssef, supervisor of Anbar police.
