U.S. ally killed in explosion

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The new U.S. “bottom-up” strategy in Iraq suffered a major setback Thursday with the assassination of a charismatic Sunni tribal chief who joined the U.S. fight against al-Qaida and met President Bush just last week.

In his address Thursday night, Bush mourned the loss of Sheik Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, a commanding figure in gold-trimmed robes who had formed the Anbar Salvation Council in western Anbar province to battle al-Qaida terrorism.

The Iraqis who joined Abu Risha in revolt against al-Qaida “can count on the continued support of the United States,” Bush said.

The chain-smoking Abu Risha was crucial to the U.S. plan to build local alliances from the bottom up to counter the top-down failure of the Baghdad government to make political progress.

Bush posed for photos with Abu Risha on his surprise visit to western Anbar province Sept. 3.

In one of his last interviews, the New York Daily News talked to Abu Risha last week after he met with Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., and local leaders in Ramadi, Anbar’s capital.

Asked about his political ambitions, Abu Risha said flatly, “I am way beyond that” — a reminder of the growing influence he exercised — which also made him a target.

Other attempts

Abu Risha had thwarted other assassination attempts, including an attack last month when suicide bombers blew up a truck outside his home.

When officials recovered video of the bombers declaring that they would kill him, the sheik watched the tape and laughed.

Initial reports said that the sheik, three bodyguards and a top aide were killed by a roadside bombing of their vehicle near Abu Risha’s sprawling home in Ramadi, which had been hailed by Bush as “one of the safest places in Iraq.”

The immediate suspect was al-Qaida in Iraq, but local officials said Abu Risha may have been the victim of a bomb planted in the car by Sunni rivals.

“It’s a terrible loss for Anbar province and all of Iraq,” Gen. David Petraeus said in a statement. “It shows how significant his importance was and it shows al-Qaida in Iraq remains a very dangerous and barbaric enemy.”

Abu Risha, whose age was variously listed as late 30s or early 40s, began cooperating with the U.S. last year. His efforts were cited by the U.S. military as possibly the main success story in Iraq.

“He was young, flamboyant, courageous, and he will not be easy to replace,” said Nimrod Raphaeli, an Iraqi analyst at the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute.