Yes, Iraq is going so well, but watch out for people who try to tell you otherwise

[Blue_Roses]

:sarcasm:

Key Sunni ally of U.S. assassinated

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A key Sunni sheik who united with U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda militants in Iraq was assassinated Thursday by a roadside bomb, officials said.
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Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha speaks to reporters Wednesday in Iraq.

The bomb struck a convoy carrying Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha and his security detail, a Ramadi police official and an Interior Ministry official said.

At least two of the sheik's bodyguards were killed and five other escorts were wounded in the afternoon attack.

Abu Reesha, 39, was head of the Anbar Salvation Council -- also known as the Anbar Awakening -- a coalition of tribes that has been working with the U.S. military to counter al Qaeda in Sunni-dominated Anbar province.

The council, funded and supported by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, was formed last year.

Police said the attack happened about a mile from Abu Reesha's home, but the deputy head of the Anbar Salvation Council, Sheik Hameed al-Hayyes, said the bomb struck the convoy 50 meters from his home in a heavily secured zone surrounding the house.

Al-Hayyes said Abu Reesha was leaving his home to go to his nearby farm, a daily routine, when he was attacked.

It is unclear if the bomb was remotely detonated or triggered by the convoy. Al-Hayyes said he suspects al Qaeda may be behind the attack, but could not rule out a rival political group.

"This is a big blow to the Anbar Salvation Council and the sons of all Iraqi tribes in al-Anbar and other provinces," al-Hayyes said. "But the council will continue its work and will step up current security measures for its members."

After Abu Reesha's killing, the council went on Iraq's state-run television to announce seven days of mourning.

Abu Reesha was one of several Sunni leaders who met with President Bush during the president's surprise visit to Anbar on September 3. In a photograph taken during the six-hour visit, a smiling Bush is seen shaking hands with the sheik.

Bush has repeatedly cited successful efforts to bring Anbar tribesmen over to the coalition's side in the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq as evidence of U.S. military success. Since the Sunni sheiks began cooperating with the U.S. military, violent attacks have significantly decreased in Anbar, once a hot spot for al Qaeda attacks. Video Watch what death of Abu Reesha may mean to Iraq »

Bush is expected to reiterate Anbar's success in a major address Thursday night.

Abu Reesha was a prime target for al Qaeda militants and other terrorist groups because of his visible alliance with the U.S. coalition.

Militants have targeted Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar in recent months because of their cooperation with the U.S. military.

In July, a suicide bomb detonated at a meeting of Sunni tribal leaders in Taji, who were allied with the U.S. military, killing some of them.

Abu Reesha was featured in a documentary, "Land of Fire," that aired on Iraqi state-run television in May in which he explained his reasoning for turning against Sunni militants, particularly al Qaeda, in Anbar province.

more...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/13/iraq.killing/index.html

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This guy was probably a marked man the minute he met with Bush.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Petraeus had said

the number of attacks had fallen from 1,350 in the month of October last year to little more than 200 last month.

He should've waited a day or so and said 201.

[Blue_Roses]

2. he's full of shit

as are the ones who wrote that speech for him.