I'm not sure if this group of Iraqi militia in northern Iraq, in Kirkuk to be exact, are your typical Awakening Council material but they have been instrumental in fighting al Qaeda in northern Iraq and its leader, Abdel Karim Ensayef al-Juburi, just survived his NINTH assassination attempt by al Qaeda - ya think he's pissed the boys off at al Qaeda just a touch?
Anyway, here's some of the details from the AFP report:
The truly miraculous part of all this is that al Qaeda rarely misses in these attempts - these car bombers usually have the vehicle so loaded with explosives no one survives within two city blocks. And this guy has survived nine of these?!!!
It's been these kinds of militias and Awakening groups that have afforded the U.S. troops the luxury of not having to patrol some of these real hotbeds like this district in Kirkuk. Every story you see about them seems to have to mention that they are Sunni but the fact of the matter is that al Qaeda, their enemy, is Sunni as well.
I don't know if this guy has any more lives than the nine he has used up but al Qaeda in Iraq has to be pulling their turbans into shreds over this guy's escape ability.
Anyway, here's some of the details from the AFP report:
A suicide bomber blocked the path of Abdel Karim Ensayef al-Juburi's motorcade on Tuesday then blew up the explosives-rigged vehicle, Captain Hassan al-Juburi told AFP.
But Juburi and five bodyguards all escaped with only injuries.
Alias Abu Seif al-Kidawi, Juburi heads a 1,000-strong US-backed militia in one of the most strategic and dangerous districts of Iraq, the Al-Muntaka neighbourhood of Kirkuk where pipelines serving the province's oilfields meet.
Oil infrastructure in the neighbourhood has been a repeated target for sabotage attempts by Sunni insurgents, particularly those loyal to Al-Qaeda.
The truly miraculous part of all this is that al Qaeda rarely misses in these attempts - these car bombers usually have the vehicle so loaded with explosives no one survives within two city blocks. And this guy has survived nine of these?!!!
It's been these kinds of militias and Awakening groups that have afforded the U.S. troops the luxury of not having to patrol some of these real hotbeds like this district in Kirkuk. Every story you see about them seems to have to mention that they are Sunni but the fact of the matter is that al Qaeda, their enemy, is Sunni as well.
I don't know if this guy has any more lives than the nine he has used up but al Qaeda in Iraq has to be pulling their turbans into shreds over this guy's escape ability.
Iraq anti-Qaeda leader survives 9th assassination bid
KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) — The head of an anti-Qaeda militia survived a truck bombing in Iraq's northern oil city of Kirkuk, the ninth assassination attempt against him, police said on Wednesday.
A suicide bomber blocked the path of Abdel Karim Ensayef al-Juburi's motorcade on Tuesday then blew up the explosives-rigged vehicle, Captain Hassan al-Juburi told AFP.
But Juburi and five bodyguards all escaped with only injuries.
Alias Abu Seif al-Kidawi, Juburi heads a 1,000-strong US-backed militia in one of the most strategic and dangerous districts of Iraq, the Al-Muntaka neighbourhood of Kirkuk where pipelines serving the province's oilfields meet.
Oil infrastructure in the neighbourhood has been a repeated target for sabotage attempts by Sunni insurgents, particularly those loyal to Al-Qaeda.
His militia is one of dozens around Iraq set up with the backing of the US military since 2006 to make common cause against al-Qaeda. The great majority are manned by Sunni Arab tribesmen or former rebels.
A colourful character with four wives and 19 children at the age of 39, Juburi was a businessman under executed president Saddam Hussein's regime before being jailed for smuggling.
He was freed by US troops during the invasion of 2003.
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