Tide Turning on al-Qa'eda In Iraq?

Originally posted by Odium
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Another thing to remember is the Winners decide history.

If the British won the War of Independence, the American "FOunding Fathers" would have been seen as terrorists and not as the "Great" men which they are seen as now.

Gee I don't remember the colonists attacking women and children, heck the Brits didn't even do that!

Originally posted by edsinger

Originally posted by Odium
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Another thing to remember is the Winners decide history.

If the British won the War of Independence, the American "FOunding Fathers" would have been seen as terrorists and not as the "Great" men which they are seen as now.

Gee I don't remember the colonists attacking women and children, heck the Brits didn't even do that!

But what about Native American's?
Gnadenhütten massacre?
You sure they didn't?

UPDATE:


Just ran into this article and found it very nice news indeed.


Proximity Delays

During radio interviews, listeners sometimes call in with questions for me. People who follow the war closely and read my dispatches might ask about events covered by mainstream news but about which I've posted few details, if any. Thousands of emails pour in.

"Did you know about the letter to Zarqawi?" (Yes, I was in the Deuce Four daily briefing when it was first displayed and read, about a week before the media learned about it. The letter was captured minutes down the road from here.)


....



But then, without even giving the leaders at Deuce Four a head's up, a typically entralling military press release went out to major, mainstream, media outlets. We all learned of it on CNN. The Zarqawi-letter story was almost unrecognizable. Because, in the hands of a network that hasn't had a body in the field in Mosul long enough to get their bearings, the best the media could do is paraphrase the military press release. So what should have been a front page banner headline story ended up buried on page 6.

Even CNN couldn't grasp the importance of the letter. They ended up giving more coverage to the impending E-Bay auction of Jennifer Anniston's old love letters than to the missive in which the top Al Queda leader in Mosul writes to the second most wanted man in the world, and describes in amazing detail the weaknesses and impending collapse of the terrorist network in Mosul and surrounds. Only then, did the military ask if wanted to write about the letter.


The operation has begun. The Commander of Deuce Four, LTC Erik Kurilla, was shot three times in combat yesterday in front of my eyes. Despite being seriously wounded, LTC Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that ended in hand-to-hand combat. LTC Kurilla continued to direct his men until a medic gave him morphine and the men took him away. I was right there. When I returned to base, I was actually "ordered" not to write about the fighting until given clearance, and was told that my phones could be confiscated. I will ignore such "orders" at my own discretion. I am preparing a dispatch now.


I hope there is more information....


Michael Yon : Online Magazine

[edit on 21-8-2005 by edsinger]

[edit on 21-8-2005 by edsinger]

This is pretty much the best news I have seen coming out of Iraq--ever. Let us hope it continues until the foreigners stop coming into the country to aid the terrorists.

I'm somewhat concerned at the lack of unanimity concerning the proposed constitution for Iraq and a little peeved at the U.S. for compromising acceptability standards. Perhaps a more patriotic attitude will prevail even if this first attempt at drafting a constitution doesn't.

Just ran across this mention:

Could the Sunnis be the solution to the problem of al Qaeda in Iraq? Recent events have shown that the marriage of convenience between domestic opponents to the new Iraqi government and foreign terrorists seeking to foment a civil war may be headed for annulment.

Zarqawi's group styles itself as an insurgency, and in the grand scheme of things they aspire to be regional or even global revolutionaries under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. However, their biggest problem in Iraq is that they have no popular base. Their main sources of support are external forces seeking to destabilize the country, such as Iran, Syria, and some private interests in Saudi Arabia. Zarqawi's domestic backers only lend him aid as a matter of expediency and opportunism; it is nice to have a supply of foreign suicide attackers around. But this commonality of interests will not last forever — indeed the worm seems to be turning — and when al Qaeda becomes more liability than asset the Sunnis may well start cashing in on the millions we are offering in reward money.

Al Qaeda has not been particularly adept at achieving its goals in Iraq. Sure, they can kill people — more often than not Iraqis — but their acts of violence have not drawn them noticeably closer to their strategic objectives. For example, we know that al Qaeda is seeking to foment ethnic civil war in Iraq. Zarqawi's group has lately been focusing attacks on the Badr Corps, the main Shia militia, trying to incite them to general war on the Sunnis. Shia leaders have wisely not allowed themselves to be baited; the political drift is in their favor, and it would be foolish to play Zarqawi's game. So insistent are the Shia on keeping the peace that Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani has issued a fatwa against using the terms "Sunni," "Shia," and "Kurd," in favor of the word "Iraqi."

Marriage on the Rocks: Is al Qaeda of Iraq wearing out its welcome?

Minimal support at best from the Sunnis.
I guess we'll see if this increases after what has transpired regarding the initial draft of the Iraqi Constitution.US relents on Islamic law to reach Iraq deal
Sunnis threaten civil war as Iraq constitution deadline extended





seekerof

Originally posted by Seekerof
Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani has issued a fatwa against using the terms "Sunni," "Shia," and "Kurd," in favor of the word "Iraqi."

Sistani is the man.

This is truly good news indeed and it keeps coming.

Possible further indication of Zarqawi's or Al-Qaeda's desperation in Iraq:

The Al-Qaeda frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared "all-out war" against the Shiites in Iraq, in an audiotape attributed to him and posted on the Internet Wednesday.

Zarqawi, who has a 25 million dollar US price on his head, also urged Sunni Arabs to wake from their slumber, telling them "the war to exterminate Sunnis will never end."

Iraq's most wanted man also challenged Iraqi leaders to leave the highly fortified "Green Zone" in Baghdad where the seat of goverment is located, to challenge the mujahedeen or holy warriors.

Earlier, militants loyal to the Jordanian-born Zarqawi claimed they had carried out a wave of suicide bombings in Baghdad to avenge an offensive by US and Iraqi government troops on the northern rebel town of Tal Afar.

The bombings claimed almost 130 lives, making it the bloodiest day of insurgent attacks in the Iraqi capital since the US-led war of March 2003.

"The conquest of revenge for the Sunni people of Tal Afar has started," Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of Two Rivers said in the statement, the authenticity of which could not be verified.

Zarqawi declares 'all out war' on Iraqi Shiites

Excellent plan there Mr. Zarqawi.
Nothing more than Zarqawi stuck on stupid.
Definately a master of command and conquer....





seekerof

[edit on 14-9-2005 by Seekerof]

Well hell, seems Zarqawi is simply gone bonkers and is declaring war on everyone in Iraq.
Super swift move by the mastermind of disaster who continues to be stuck on stupid.
He keeps running his mouth and instead of Coalition and Iraqi forces looking for him, he will have the Shi'ites, Sunnis, and Kurds hunting him, as well.
Brilliant thinking and move there Mr. Zarqawi....

The speech, titled: “This is My Message to the People and They Are Warned,” is a diatribe about not only the actions and “crimes” of the Americans and Shi’ites in Tal Afar, and other Iraqi cities, but the inaction of the Sunnis and their scholars in this regard. Zarqawi also warns of an impending comprehensive war on the Shi’ites and their supporters, “wherever and whenever they are found,” demanding that people either choose between two camps: “the camp of the right thing or the camp of the wrong thing and its followers. So choose on which side of the sword you fall.”

A Speech by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq: “A Message to the People and They are Warned” –






seekerof

Originally posted by Seekerof
Well hell, seems Zarqawi is simply gone bonkers and is declaring war on everyone in Iraq.
seekerof

Well Seekerof, not any more....... he is offically worm dirt. I would guess that some here would claim its a ruse by GW Bush, that it was timed right before the Mexican elections or something, but the fact remains. He is DEAD, even Osama knows this fact.

I found it ironic that the last thing he saw was an American Soldier...hehe