Know Thy Enemies: Who are we fighting, and who is supporting them?

Weekly Standard ^ | May 11 2007 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Kyle Dabruzzi

[ASC2006]

SOMETIMES WHAT WE DON'T KNOW can indeed hurt us. This was the case in 2006, when reporters noticed significant fighting between Iraqi insurgent factions. This confused journalists and government analysts, but the prevailing attitude was that if the insurgents were fighting each other, at least they weren't fighting us.

It turned out that the group that bore the brunt of this violence would later develop into the Anbar Salvation Front, which has proved to be one of our most important local allies in Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), was trying to wipe out this fledgling movement. If analysts better understood that situation, timely U.S. intervention could have thwarted Zarqawi and allowed the Anbar Salvation Front to make a difference on the ground sooner.

[ASC2006]

Under our current ROEs and given the catch and release program we can't win this, but we can win it by proxy if we support the tribes.

Sheikh Suleiman had strong criticisms for the U.S. military in the Anbar governorate. “In the past we used to capture Al-Qaeda militants and hand them over to Americans, but within two weeks we would see them free again,” he said. “Now, we deal with those we capture.”

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2726/Dulaim_Chief_Al-Qaeda_is_a_Cancer_in_Iraq

[ASC2006]

ping

[A message]

Sheikh Suleiman had strong criticisms for the U.S. military in the Anbar governorate. “In the past we used to capture Al-Qaeda militants and hand them over to Americans, but within two weeks we would see them free again,” he said. “Now, we deal with those we capture.”

I imagine his methods are a bit harsher on the head and neck than panties and leashes.

[ASC2006]

Since Abu Ghrieb we have been running a catch and release program that as Bing West said “Sweden would find too liberal”.

al-Qaeda is happy to surrender to the US because they know they will be out back on the street soon thereafter.

The tribes have no compassion or forgiveness for al-Qaeda.

[Marine_Uncle]

I wonder how many of us have considered this new scenario is really what we had hoped to accomplish three years plus back.
Our military and the POTUS have repeated numerous times that Iraq requires more then just a military solution.
It requires the will of the Iraqi people to kill off and imprison the insurgents and others that are doing the killing.
As more Iraqi tribes sign on the dotted line, the US/Coalition goal will be achieved. Those that are still against the foreign presence will over time be pursuaded to put up with it, during this transitional phase.
The more Iraqi get a bit of education on the basics such as realizeing the sooner their forces can handle things, the sooner Americans are off their streets, things will further settle down.
Maliki and crew must be verbalizing more on what the coalition forces have done for Iraq thus far. Those with their heads in the sands blind to all but their iman etc., must realize they don't have the whole picture and often are being used for an individuals/group cause that ultimately leads to death, and or misery at best.

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News at Home and Abroad You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

Or if they do report it, without the anti-War Agenda Spin!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

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NEVER FORGET

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The very same people who are now pushing hard to cut off funding for a Fight for Freedom in Iraq...

...ended up giving us to sadly see after succeeding in actually doing it to a then Free South Vietnam during the Vietnam War:

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Pictures of a vientamese Re-Education (SLAVE LABOR) Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts

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..”JOURNEY from the FALL”.. MoviePremieres = Fall of Saigon CLARITY..

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806248/posts

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NOTE:

And at the very begining of the Vietnam War in 1965 Sen. TED KENNEDY, and his now assistant Rep. JOHN TUNNEY, toured U.S., South Vietnamese and Australian Military Bases fighting for Freedom in South Vietnam to see firsthand what the Vietnam War was really all about.

In other words, the Senator and TUNNEY have always known better from the very beginning.

And Still.....

http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm
(See 5th Photo of Sen. TED KENNEDY in South Vietnam-1965)

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NEVER FORGE