Re-Taking Al-Qaeda Country
WASHINGTON - It wasn't long ago that people were comparing parts of Iraq to the American Wild West.
The Anbar province has served as a nerve center for al-Qaeda since the early days of the insurgency- some might call it al-Qaeda Country.
It's estimated that more than 8,000 Iraqis have been killed or injured by insurgent attacks in Anbar province. Cities such as Fallujah and Ramadi have long been trouble spots for U.S. troops
The campaign of terror has led to power and influence in the predominantly Sunni region.
The Anbar Salvation Front
But many tribal leaders here are tired of living in fear and want to take their home back from al-Qaeda.
"They believe that al-Qaeda in Iraq is breaking Iraq apart and turning the Sunni people on each other, and they want to eliminate that," said military analyst Bill Roggio.
Roggio says the Anbar Salvation Front includes a broad mix of Sunnis: local tribesmen, Iraqi nationalists, ex-Baathists, and even some Islamists.
Many are former insurgents that are now working with the U.S. military and Iraqi government.
"We're certainly allied with people who fought us, probably less than a year ago," said Roggio. "But this is, in the end, how you win insurgencies. How you break them apart and turn the more moderate elements against the more radical elements."
The Most Important Man in Iraq
Abdul Sattar al-Rishawi is the charismatic tribal leader behind the movement.
New York Sun reporter Eli Lake calls al-Rishawi "the most important man in Iraq."
"This guy, Sheikh Al-Rishawi-who's lost a lot of family members to al-Qaeda-is incredibly enthusiastic about hitting them in every way. Which means not just militarily, but going to the media and saying 'I'm a real Iraqi, and these guys are invaders and foreigners," said Lake.
Al-Rishawi has support from both the U.S. military and local tribes - no small feat.
Roggio said, "Al-Qaeda is very threatened by the Anbar Salvation Front because it provides an alternative-a political alternative-which never existed before in Anbar province."
Roggio says that threat is forcing al-Qaeda to become even more brutal in its attacks.
In recent months, the terror group has been using bombs filled with chlorine gas against Anbar's tribal leaders and civilians. These chlorine bombs are designed to intimidate as much as they are to kill.
"What you'll see is a very large explosion and then a green cloud of gas, which in itself, can be very terrifying to the victims of the attack," said Roggio.
Spreading Its Influence
The Anbar Salvation Front is establishing Emergency Response Units throughout the province.
These ERU's are teams of 750 men whose goal is to stabilize Anbar's trouble spots and provide intelligence to American troops.
The U.S. Military is pleased with their progress and have encouraging the establishment of similar Salvation Fronts in other Iraqi provinces.