By Mariam Karouny RAMADI, Iraq, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Iraqi tribal leader Ahmed Abu Risha speaks very softly, but his voice resonates determination -- the revolt his brother started against al Qaeda in Anbar province will not falter despite his death. A bombing claimed by al Qaeda killed Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha in his car on Sept. 13 in the provincial capital Ramadi. Ahmed quickly took over an alliance of Sunni Arab tribal leaders his brother had headed to avoid a leadership crisis. "The effect his assassination left is only emotional, that we have lost him," the quietly-spoken sheikh told Reuters over the weekend in his first face-to-face interview with the Western media since assuming control of the Anbar Salvation Council. "His assassination has increased our will to fight al Qaeda," added Ahmed Abu Risha, 42, speaking at the family compound in Ramadi, a series of homes heavily protected by dozens of Iraqi police and armed guards. Just a short walk way, in a deserted field, lies the burnt wreckage of Abu Risha's car. Ahmed Abu Risha, previously the spokesman of the council, was a staunch supporter of his younger brother's desire to drive al Qaeda in Iraq out of Anbar, once the country's most dangerous region and the heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency. His brother worked with U.S. forces to pacify much of Anbar by forcing many Sunni Islamist al Qaeda fighters to flee to other provinces. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha set up the council last year after Sunni tribal leaders became angered at al Qaeda's harsh interpretation of Islam and the killing of civilians. Up till then, al Qaeda in Iraq controlled large swathes of the vast province. The sharp drop in violence in Anbar created one of Iraq's few security successes -- a fact underscored when U.S. President George W. Bush met Abdul Sattar Abu Risha during a trip to the vast desert region less than two weeks before the bombing. Ahmed, who has now lost five members of his family in the battle with al Qaeda, appeared undeterred by threats from the Islamic State in Iraq, believed to have been set up by al Qaeda in Iraq, to kill more tribal leaders who cooperate with U.S. and Iraqi government forces. It claimed responsibility for the Sept. 13 killing, calling it a "heroic operation". "We will continue on the same path," said Ahmed Abu Risha, a framed picture of the Iraqi flag with the face of his brother superimposed in the middle hanging on the wall. Many believe Ahmed played an instrumental role in helping his brother lead the battle against al Qaeda in Iraq. He said al Qaeda had tried to kill his brother 11 times before but had failed. This time, they recruited one of his brother's security guards who helped facilitate the bomb attack on his car. Interior Ministry officials have said it was a roadside bomb that killed Abdul Sattar Abu Risha. Eleven Iraqi suspects have been arrested for involvement in the killing, Ahmed Abu Risha said. Sunni Arab tribes have vowed revenge for the killing but Ahmed, who wants Anbar to get more involved in politics, says any action will be based on the law. "Revenge is going to be through raiding Qaeda safehouses and arresting them and bringing them to justice," he said. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha played a key role in getting young men to start joining local police forces, something Ahmed said he wanted to see carried on. "We will continue supporting the army and the police and to prepare for the elections and to be part of the political process," Ahmed said, referring to provincial elections that are expected to devolve more power to Iraq's regions. No date has been set yet for the polls.
