Statement by Secretary Rice on the Murder of Sheikh Abdul Sattar Bezia al-Rishawi

Today, Sheikh Abdul Sattar Bezia al-Rishawi, a courageous Iraqi leader committed to defeating extremism and improving the lives of the Iraqi people, was brutally murdered, along with several other innocent Iraqi citizens, near his farm in al-Anbar Province. Sheikh Sattar headed the Abu Risha tribe after the assassination of his father by al-Qaeda in 2004, and founded Sahawat al-Anbar, or Awakening Council, an alliance of 42 tribes pledged to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and to the loved ones of those killed and injured. This act of terrorism can only be seen as an attempt to silence and intimidate those who are determined to build a peaceful, unified, and stable Iraq. The United States condemns such criminal acts and stands with the people of al-Anbar Province who have shown a firm determination to work against al-Qaeda and other extremists who seek to harm the Iraqi people and destabilize the country.