In Anbar province, Iraqis proud of fighting infidels

[Barrett808]

The Iraqi forces battling US troops in a conservative Sunni Muslim bastion west of Baghdad don't consider themselves as terrorists or even supporters of Saddam Hussein but as Islamic "martyrs" fighting foreign infidels.

"Each attack against the Americans is a celebration," says Ali Ilhabi, 48, echoing the words of most residents of Anbar, Khaldiyah, Fallujah and Ramadi, all of them west of Baghdad.

Anti-US sentiment prevails in the area and violent attacks against US troops have occurred almost daily since the ouster of Saddam Hussein in April, prompting retaliation that often means deaths among Iraqi civilians.

Ilhabi belongs to the Gortani tribe.

On Monday, as soldiers in the distance battled with gunmen hiding in fields, the men gathered to vent their anger against the US "infidels" and set the record straight on why attacking American troops is fair.

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http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=7201