Greg Palast: Bush's Fake Sheik Whacked: The Surge and the Al Qaeda Bunny

[babsbunny]

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1309

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Greg Palast


A special investigative report from inside Iraq


Monday, September 17, 2007 -- Did you see George all choked up? In his surreal TV talk on Thursday, he got all emotional over the killing by Al Qaeda of Sheik Abu Risha, the leader of the new Sunni alliance with the U.S. against the insurgents in Anbar Province, Iraq.

Bush shook Abu Risha's hand two weeks ago for the cameras. Bush can shake his hand again, but not the rest of him: Abu Risha was blown away just hours before Bush was to go on the air to praise his new friend.

Here's what you need to know that NPR won't tell you.

1. Sheik Abu Risha wasn't a sheik.
2. He wasn't killed by Al Qaeda.
3. The new alliance with former insurgents in Anbar is as fake as the sheik -- and a murderous deceit.

[HuffleClaw]

1. i suppose it'll take till easter 2008 for the 'real' networks to pick up this story

and then the white house will call it 'old news' !

[leftchick]

2. The Americans like to create characters like Disney cartoon heroes."

man these guys have our number....

<snip>

The sheik wasn't a sheik. He was a fake. While proclaiming to Rick that he was "the leader of all the Iraqi tribes," Abu lead no one. But for a reported sum in the millions in cash for so-called "reconstruction contracts," Abu Risha was willing to say he was Napoleon and Julius Caesar and do the hand-shakie thing with Bush on camera.

Notably, Rowley and his camera caught up with Abu Risha on his way to a "business trip" to Dubai, money-laundering capital of the Middle East.

There are some real sheiks in Anbar, such as Ali Hathem of the dominant Dulaimi tribe, who told Rick that Abu Risha was a con man. Where was his tribe, this tribal leader? "The Americans like to create characters like Disney cartoon heroes." Then Ali Hathem added, "Abu Risha is no longer welcome" in Anbar.

"Not welcome" from a sheik in Anbar is roughly the same as a kiss on both cheeks from the capo di capi. Within days, when Abu Risha returned from Dubai to Dulaimi turf in Ramadi, Bush's hand-sheik was whacked.

On Thursday, Bush said Abu Risha was killed, "fighting Al Qaeda" -- and the White House issued a statement that the sheik was "killed by al Qaeda."

Bullshit.

[Graybeard]

3. More great reporting by Palast.

Unfortunately it will be ignored by the MSM. Sources in Al Anbar say that Abu Risha was "a DisneyWorld character" totally made up. He had no tribe, he had no people. The report also tells of the millions of dollars that paid for the phony "peace accord".

[frogcycle]

4. christ on a fucking cracker

and the catholic league can just "suck it"


We knew they were staging shit, but this guy gets the goods on it this fast, and the "embedded" Time Mag reporter that was there for the charade has an article in this week's time about how he managed to file a story from Diego Garcia and win a case of wine! The rest of the "embedded" reporters who are supposedly OUR FUCKING WATCHDOGS are scrambling around on the floor of AF1 chasing after table scraps.

[eleny]

5. Another reason it's too bad that Keith became ill

I had squinty eyes over the timing of the killing. and then this article really popped my eyes wide open.

[King Coal]

6. Who killed him?

[Graybeard]

7. The "Awakening Council"...

...controlling Sunni sheiks that Palast calls the Sopranos of Arabia.

[ShortnFiery]

9. Whoa! Thank goodness for Greg Palast's reporting ...

Just when I think this horrific occupation could not get any more corrupt and deceitful, Palast, et. al., reveals another filthy rock layer of STENCH - complements of The Unitary Executive. :(

[Roland99]

8. K&R

[Bullet1987]

10. I'd like to see that video Rick Rowley shot.

[Roland99]

11. Check the top threads on Greatest