In An Open Patriotic Act Of Defiance Sheiks Join Against Al Qaeda
Sometimes it is the little things that make the most difference.
The security of Iraq has been a hard fought issue, and it has improved tremendously over the last several months. So when a suicide bomber suddenly approached a military area and blew himself up, he took with him over 20 local leaders, and a number of Iraqi Soldiers, and three US Marine Corps soldiers.
The members of the Karmah Sheiks and the Coalition Task Force decided independently that they were not going to be intimidated. Members of the 1st battalion, 3rd Marine regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, met with nearly 8 sheiks and other members of the Iraqi Government.
Together they met at an open meeting to declare to the world that they were defying Al Qaeda, and that they would not be intimidated.
The meeting was a public declaration to say that Al Qaeda would not win, and that they are not welcome in the region. Nearly 50 people attended the public meeting, and it was held at the Iraqi Army base, but as the meeting continued a crowd began to gather, until over 200 supporters were gathered.
Al Qaeda has not been seen for the most part in the region, and this public demonstration was one of the first times that members of both the coalition and the Iraqi Government joined to make a public statement.