America's unlikely ally against Al Qaeda

Last Modified: 13 Mar 2007
By: Alex Thomson, Nick Paton Walsh

A special report on the Iraqi sheikh who's declared war on Al Qaeda. Not long ago - he was fighting the Americans. So what's made him take the insurgents on?

'You're with us - or against us' - that was America's rallying cry in its global war on terror. But in Iraq they've sided with an unlikely ally, who's joined the fight against insurgents in the volatile city of Ramadi.

He's Sheikh Abdul Sattar - a Sunni tribal leader once a sworn enemy of the United States - now credited with arresting Al Qaeda operatives.

The Shia Iraqi prime minister arrived in the city today to meet the Sunni sheikh - and to promote unity and reconciliation - although it wasn't long before his visit descended into the kind of factional dispute which has plagued his country.

Our Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is embedded with American forces in the area and as part of our week long series - Fractured Iraq - and he reports on Prime Minister Maliki's meeting.

About Ramadi

Ramadi, in the Anbar province West of Baghdad, has been a bastion of the Sunni insurgency against the Iraqi government and US forces.

On Ramadi's streets

Just a few months ago, Ramadi's streets were a virtual no go zone for US troops. But Sheikh Sattar has proved pivotal in curbing the violence - and arresting operatives from Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Channel 4 News has gained exclusive access to the Sheikh and his men who have taken on America's war against the insurgents.

Our Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson reports on how Al Qaeda's law is being replaced on the streets of Ramadi with the sheikh's law.