Al Anbar Province

Definition: Al Anbar province extends over much of western Iraq, and borders Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the west, and Syria to the north. Far from central control, Anbar has proven to be a breeding ground for Iraqi insurgents, as well as for Al Qaeda in Iraq (a group associated with Al Qaeda. In September 2006, a classified military report described the situation in Iraq as so hopelessly lawless as to be irreparable.