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| Iraq |
| US must stay, says Iraq tribe fighting Al-Qaeda |
| 2008-01-15 |
| An early pullout of US troops would spark a return of savage sectarian violence and be "disastrous" for Iraq, a tribal leader fighting Al-Qaeda in a province once fiercely anti-American told AFP. Sheikh Ahmed Abu Reesha, leader of the "Anbar Awakening" that has ended much of Al-Qaeda's hold over western Iraq, warned that improvements in the security situation would be lost if the United States withdrew troops. US President George W Bush said on Saturday that Washington was on track to reduce the number of brigades in Iraq from 20 to 15 by July, a move that would bring down troop numbers to about 130,000 from 160,000 now. "Right now, any quick withdrawal will be disastrous because the Iraqi army is incapable of taking over," Sheikh Ahmed said in an interview. "Any withdrawal must happen only when the Iraqi army is 100 percent ready to protect the country. The government and the country cannot afford to be without help from the Americans." Sheikh Ahmed took over as head of the Anbar Awakening in September after the murder of his celebrated brother Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, the pioneer of the Sunni groups that switched allegiance from Al-Qaeda to US forces. |
| Posted by:Fred |