America lost one of its most effective and colorful Iraqi allies in a roadside bomb blast Sunday. Gen. Qais Hamza Aboud, police chief for the Babil province, was killed in the midday attack on his convoy. Qais, who American officers sometimes called "The Godfather," was a Shiite Muslim known for cracking down on Shiite militias and criminal gangs as well as going after Sunni insurgents. His brash charisma--including his salty language and affinity for Jack Daniels whiskey--was recently described in a story about Iraqi warlords by NEWSWEEK's Kevin Peraino.

Qais had consolidated control of the security services in the province, a key crossroads region south of Baghdad. The former car salesman had used American backing to build his 800-man Scorpion force and assassins had already targeted him several times. He also faced down powerful figures in the central government as he took on militias with powerful friends.

His death shakes the region and the American forces' strategy there. The area is known as a transit point for Al Qaida militants into Baghdad and a breeding ground for Shiite militias. Sunday evening, a curfew was placed on the city of Hilla, the provincial capital near where the attack took place. Just hours before the attack, U.S. officers cited Qais as a symbol of progress. "Right now I see amazing momentum at the local level. Let's just focus in on Gen. Qais and the Babil police," said Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, who praised him for going after insurgents no matter their sect. Gen. Qais will be a hard man to replace.