The sunni Sheikhs of Anbar
The boy in a blue dishdash sits comfortably in the throne-like princely armchair of the “mudhifa”, the large marble-covered meeting hall. At 17 young Saddam Sattar Abu Risha already shows a commanding allure when he orders the coffee. He is planning to visit Italy and loves Dubai, for the fancy shopping, the Ferraris and the high buildings. “My dad was killed” he snaps abruptely pointing to a row of six pictures on the wall. “My father, grandfather and four uncles: they were killed by al-Qaeda. I live here with uncle Ahmed, my brothers and sisters”.
We sip the strong beduin coffee in the tiny cups. The compound in the outskirts of Ramadi, just off the main highway to Jordan, is shaded by planted acacia trees: gazelles roam in the fields between the villas, protected by ugly concrete blocks.
Suddenly, sporting a gold rimmed vaporous camel hair abaya and a diamond ring, enters Saddam’s surviving uncle: Sheikh Ahmed Buzaigh Abu Risha of the powerful Dulaimi tribe, chief of the Anbar Salvation Council and head of the once American sponsored sunni Awakening brigades. “Don’t ask me what we achieved with the Awakening movement” he jokes. “You know the answer: you reached this house and you are still alive”.
He is right. We are sitting in the heart of the infamous Triangle of Death, for years a killing ground where journalists didn’t dare to adventure if not embedded or escorted by stringers with good local connections and willing to risk their life. A land of bloody fights, kidnappings, “search and destroy” military operations, death squads, suicide attacks, al-Qaeda insurgents, Rpgs and road side explosions.
His brother and Saddam’s father, Sheikh Sattar Buzaigh Abu Risha, founder of the Awakening movement, was killed in 2007 ten days after he met George W. Bush in a US air base outside Baghdad.
No doubt since then security has improved. But even the soft speaking Sheikh Ahmed admits some “small problem” is still there. Like, just to mention the latest, a couple of car bombs in Ramadi two days ago. “Al-Qaeda terrorists are still around” he says. “Anyway we have issued a death sentence and we’ll finish them off, insh’Allah!”
The Sheikh’s compound is in fact a bunker with private militias, armoured cars and shelters: the access road is strictly guarded by the Iraqi army manning three well armed check points.
Another al-Dulaimi sheikh, Heykmat el-Eiyda, takes me to the Anbar siege of power (I should say democracy..): the Provincial Council. Thanks to the sheikh I fly through the heavy security checks, I am offered a brand new monumental leather seat (still wrapped in plastic sheets), a gargantuan lunch (“quzi” with lamb, chicken and beans: to be eaten with your hands), the nineth sugared Iraqi tea of the day, and the wait begins.
One hour is the regular minimum share you get in high placed public offices around the Middle East. You just wait, smoke, drink tea and enjoy the show: the yellow and green “venetian style” neon lights, the chilling chinese air cooler, the generator’s noise, the mega tv screen, the zealous employees pretending to work, the guard who duly prays kneeling in the corridor, the piles of documents gathering dust on huge desks filled with ever ringing telephones and the other people sprawled on the sofas smoking, drinking tea, engaging in endless trivial conversations and waiting to respectfully submit their pleas.
Finally the door opens and I am introduced to the Governor. Maamun Sami Rashid is of course very busy but also very helpful: he offers me (guess what?) another cup of real Iraqi tea. I grab my notebook (fingers sticky with sugar..) and go for the interview. It takes time, relatives and sheikhs come to pay visit, friends call on the mobiles, papers are brought in to be signed, the pc stops working.
But when I leave, after two more cups of chai, I get to the bottom line: the sunnis wanted the Americans to stay and finish the job, sectarian politics are on the rise, democracy is just a word and the government in Baghdad is a religious autocracy manipulated by the Iranian ayatollahs. Not a rosy message from the dogged Land of the Sheikhs!
