Iraq: Tal Afar, the Sunni Civil War, and Chlorine Bombs

Three major events occurred inside Iraq over the past 24 hours that merit particular attention. First, in the Shia dominated city of Tal Afar, al Qaeda conducted a double suicide attack. Subsequently, off-duty Shia police are said to have rampaged through the city, conducting reprisal attacks, although the details on this report are still sketchy. Second, Harith al-Dhari, a leader in the 1920s Revolution Brigade, was murdered, highlighting the internal civil war in the Sunni community, and the battle against al Qaeda. And third, in Fallujah, al Qaeda conducted yet another chlorine gas suicide attack.

Yesterday's dual suicide strikes in Shia markets in Tal Afar appears to have been a major success for al Qaeda. The largely Shia city, which has been a model of governance and security in Iraq, had at least 63 of its citizens murdered. Al Qaeda, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, has struck at Shia civilians in the past in order to stir up sectarian violence. Yesterday's attack may have worked. While the news reports on this incident are still being sorted out, the initial reports indicated off-duty Shia policemen went on a killing spree in Sunni neighborhoods. Upwards of 60 Sunnis are said to have been murdered.

Again, this has yet to be confirmed. The Associated Press changed the initial headline on their report from "Enraged Policemen Go on Revenge Killing Spree in Northern Iraqi Town" to the more careful headline of "Shiite cops reportedly rampage vs. Sunnis" [emphasis mine]. During today's press briefing with Rear Admiral Fox, the press did not follow up his denouncement of the bombings or the reported incident, which is interesting. Later reporting indicates a militia may have carried out the murders. The Reuters headline is "Gunmen kill 50 in Iraqi town" and states a militia conducted the attack, though that militia may include members from the police force.

The Tal Afar police have been confined to their stations, and the Iraqi Army and Mosul police are said to be heading to Tal Afar to provide security. The Maliki government is investigating the incident.

The event in Tal Afar is a very serious issue that will reverberate throughout the Sunni community, particularly at a time when the government is seeking to reconcile with Sunni insurgent groups. Obviously, if the allegations as initially reported are true, al Qaeda was very successful in causing a backlash by the security forces. If the report is inaccurate--if this was a small element of the police, or perhaps police assigned from outside Tal Afar, or the actions of a local militia--al Qaeda still won an incredible propaganda victory.

Al Qaeda in Iraq has stepped up its campaign of terror and intimidation against the Sunni tribes in Anbar and beyond. Yesterday, al Qaeda murdered Harith al-Dhari, the sun of Sheikh Thahir al-Dhari, the leader of the al-Zuba'a tribe. Thahir's home was hit with a suicide bomb. Salam al-Zubaie, one of two deputy prime ministers and a member of the Zuba'a tribe, was wounded just days earlier when a suicide bomb was detonated in the courtyard of the mosque he was attending.

Harith al-Dhari, (who shares the name with the infamous Harith al-Dhari, his uncle and head of the insurgent-supporting Muslim Scholars Association), was a leader in the 1920s Revolution Brigades, a nationalist Sunni insurgent group. Elements of the 1920s Revolution Brigades are actively cooperating with the Anbar Salvation Council, the political and military front consisting of tribal leaders and insurgent groups.

As of last September, the leadership of 25 of the 31 Anbari tribes were cooperating with the government, while 6 tribes, know in some military intelligence circles as "The Sinister Six," were aligned with al Qaeda. Two of the Sinister Six are the Albu Issa and the al-Zuba'a.