Suicide bomber kills 24 pro-gov't tribal leaders at meeting to discuss reconciliation (Iraq, Baghdad)

[delusianne]

Suicide bomber kills at least 24 Iraqi tribal leaders - International Herald Tribune

BAGHDAD: Twenty-four Iraqi pro-government tribal leaders who were meeting at the house of a Sunni sheik to discuss national reconciliation efforts were killed Friday when a suicide bomber walked inside and detonated an explosive vest, government officials said. As many as 21 others were wounded, the officials said.
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More recently, however, violence had decreased in the area after local tribal leaders turned against Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and began to support the American military and the Iraqi government. Parts of the town had never been completely free of the insurgents' influence, residents said.

The meeting at the house of the sheik, Muhammad Abdullah Saleh, included between 700 people and 800 people from around Iraq who were members of the Qaraghul tribe. The tribe includes Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

[cuebald]

It's a shame they didn't have Homeland Security keeping them safe from terrorist attacks.

[delusianne]

"As the meeting was breaking up, one of the tribe's members, Ahmed Edan Hasoon, 59, entered the yard without being searched by security guards, guests said. Moments later, he detonated an explosive vest he was wearing, they said."

[cuebald]

Damn.

Maybe they did...

[01Snake]

Sounds like he really had something to get off his chest.

[delusianne]

"But violence in Yusufiya decreased in the past year-and-a-half as tribal leaders turned against Al Qaeda and began to support the U.S. military and the Iraqi government.

Some of the town's neighborhoods, however, had never been free of the influence of Qaeda militants, who have sought to recruit tribal members back to the insurgency with gifts of money and cars, a sheik said.

Tribe members were meeting at the home of Mohammed Abdullah Salih al-Qaraghuli - the tribe's sheik. The tribe includes Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Some of those in attendance were former Sunni insurgents who had become leaders of Awakening Councils, groups allied with the government against Al Qaeda."

Complicated...I'd expect the money and cars were coming from both sides, though. If not, or if so, the article should say... guess there'll be a more detailed history of this tribe tomorrow.