Good News Trickles Out of Anbar Province in Iraq

Some good news is trickling out of the Sunni stronghold of Anbar, in Iraq, and since it is even being acknowledged by reporters from the Associated Press it is likely a lot better news than our American anti-war zealots would like. You have heard incessantly in our American media how terribly our military has performed in the Ramadi area, in all of the Anbar province for that matter. It was about a year ago that headlines and prime time TV reports in the U. S. told about a suicide bomber killing 70 people lined up for an Iraqi police recruiting drive in that area. Now it turns out that a 36-yearold sheik named al-Rishawi is leading an anti-al-Qaida movement generally referred to as the Anbar Awakening, and it is gaining strong support. Some 41 Sunni tribes have joined the support-America movement. Al-Rishawi is quoted as saying: "(The terrorists) brainwashed our people into thinking Americans were against them. They said foreigners wanted to occupy our land and destroy our mosques. They told us `we'll wage a jihad. We'll help you defeat them." But instead, AI-Rishawi says, the insurgents were "killing innocent people, anyone suspected of opposing them. They brought us nothing but destruction ..." Among those killed by the AI-Qaida assasins were AI-Rishawi's father and three brothers. AI-Rishawi's comment was "enough is enough" and apparently an area reported here as violently anti-American is actually looking toward us for help. While this is happening in Anbar province ... while this good man is seeking to befriend America ... the Democrats in Congress are leading a movement to pull out of Iraq. And if we do pull out, history tells us that one of the first Iraqis to be assassinated by Al-Qaida will be a 36-year-old sheik named AI-Rishawa. And at that point, his blood will be on OUR hands.

This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/4/91950