Key Sunni leader killed in Iraq

A key leader of the alliance of Iraqi Sunni Arab tribes that oppose al-Qaeda has been killed in an explosion, according to reports.

Abdul Sattar Abu Risha was killed in a roadside bomb blast near his home in Ramadi, Anbar province.

Last week, US President George W Bush met Mr Abu Risha during a visit to Iraq.

Ramadi police officer Ahmed Mahmoud al-Alwani said two bodyguards and Mr Abu Risha's private secretary were also killed,

"The sheikh's car was totally destroyed by the explosion. Abu Risha was killed," he said.

Mr Abu Risha set up an alliance of tribal sheikhs in Anbar to fight Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda, an effort which has been held up by allied leaders as one of the biggest success stories in improving security in Iraq after more than four years of war.

During his visit to Anbar early last week, Mr Bush said improved security there was an example of what could happen elsewhere in Iraq.

From 2003 until last year, Anbar was the heartland of the Sunni Arab insurgency and the most dangerous part of Iraq. Al-Qaeda once controlled large swathes of the desert region.

But the rebellion by Sunni Arab tribal leaders against al-Qaeda has sharply reduced levels of violence.

Mr Abu Risha was instrumental in getting young men in Anbar to join local police forces.

It was one of the first examples of the US military working with local sheikhs in Iraq to develop tribal police to secure their own communities.

But despite the security gains, the tribal alliance has shown signs of splintering in recent months over dissatisfaction with Abu Risha's leadership and infighting between tribal leaders.

Meanwhile, Mr Bush is set to deliver a televised address after two days of congressional testimony by his top military and diplomatic officials in Baghdad.

The President is all but certain to embrace General David Petraeus' recommendation to gradually withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer.

This will bring US force strength in Iraq back to what it was before he ordered a build-up in January.

The proposed move will not be enough for Democrats, but it could buy time for Mr Bush to pursue the war by undermining a push for a wider withdrawal.

Mr Bush has touted his speech as a chance to "lay out a vision" for future US involvement in Iraq four-and-a-half years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

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