Region | Iraq
Al Maliki vows to fight against terror
Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki yesterday promised to give government support to an alliance of Sunni Arab tribesmen aimed at battling insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 October 8, 2006
Baghdad: Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki yesterday promised to give government support to an alliance of Sunni Arab tribesmen aimed at battling insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province.
Tribal leaders and clerics in Ramadi, Anbar's capital, announced the alliance two weeks ago - the strongest move yet by tribes to confront Sunni-led insurgents who have made the pro-vince their heartland.
The alliance said it would set up a force of 20,000 men to battle insurgents and members of Al Qaida in Iraq, one of the country's most feared terror groups, which draws much of its support from Sunni Arabs.
Ahead of a meeting yesterday between the chiefs and Al Maliki in Baghdad, a spokesman for the Anbar group said the government had not shown enough backing for the idea and that the administration in the sprawling western province was "mismanaging" the area.
"The government's position (toward the council) is positive... but we demand a legal formula recognising this council," said Muayyad Ebrahim Al Humaish. "Up to now, the government has not offered us support, neither financial nor other kinds."
Seeking to allay those concerns, Al Maliki met with the tribal chiefs, clerics and government officials from Anbar, joined by US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. Al Maliki said he had given assurances of the full "support and backing of the government".
He told reporters the alliance would have funds for reconstruction and services and said an effort would be made to move faster with the restructuring of the army in the area. He called upon the people of the province to volunteer for police and army jobs.
"From the downfall of the former regime until now there have been wrong policies and practices toward this province," he said.
"We are required to change the status quo. The province should be saved from Saddam followers and Takfiris (Islamic radicals)."
In a statement read aloud, the Anbar leaders, calling themselves the Anbar Salvation Council, reaffirmed they "undertake to cooperate with the government to ensure security and stability in the province".
"The sons of the province are proud to cooperate to protect the province against terrorism," they said.
Al Maliki said the Anbar leaders were "firm in confronting terrorism and fighting for security in their province" and suggested others should follow suit, naming Diyala, which is an increasingly violent province north of Baghdad.
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