Pressure Grows on al Zarqawi and al Qaeda in Iraq

ABC News ^ | Jan. 30, 2006

[jmc1969]

There is increasing evidence that the fault lines between local Sunni Iraqi insurgents and the mostly foreign fighters of Abu Musaab al Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq are deepening, according to a number of press reports.

If the trend continues, it can act to complete the integration of the Sunni minority into the political process, weaken the violent insurgency, and reduce attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces. The Sunnis are chasing the al Zarqawi men from all over the al Anbar Province. The implications are tremendous for Iraq, the American military presence in Iraq, and the war against al Qaeda. The tide has seemed to turn against the al Zarqawi network in Iraq.

Reports over the last week suggest that local tribes in Iraq's troubled western province of al Anbar have turned against al Zarqawi and his foreign militants and appear determined to expel them. The pan-Arab al Hayat newspaper reported on Friday that the campaign against the group had so far resulted in the arrest of 270 Arab and foreign "infiltrators" and a number of Iraqis, according to the leader of Al Karabla tribes in al Qa'em. An army officer told the paper that most of those arrested were Jordanians, Saudis and Syrians.

Al Hayat also reported on a series of armed clashes between local groups and al Qaeda in al Ramadi and other Sunni areas last week. "Security committees" were formed in coordination with the Iraqi defense minister to stop the militants who had killed a number of moderate religious and tribal figures. The paper also reported that six groups that had decided to stop all forms of cooperation with al Qaeda in Iraq had formed what they called "The People's Cells" in al Anbar to overlook security in the area.

While both al Zarqawi and the Iraqi militant groups were fighting a common enemy — the U.S. and coalition forces — Iraqi opposition to al Zarqawi and his brutal tactics had been building with the increasing death toll of civilians killed in al Qaeda's suicide attacks. Zarqawi's assassination of local tribal leaders also contributed to the building resentment. A split began to appear before the Dec. 15 elections. Many Sunni militants and tribes participated in the political process and voted in the elections, while al Qaeda in Iraq strongly opposed any form of political participation and threatened to kill those who did.

The growing split between Iraqi militant groups and tribes on one side and al Qaeda in Iraq on the other may provide an important window of opportunity for the U.S. diplomats and the Iraqi government. The Sunni campaign against al Zarqawi may represent the only way to eject al Zarqawi and his violent jihadists from Iraq since combat operations against the group by U.S. forces have failed to stop the terrorist attacks. Al Hayat reported that tribal leaders in al Anbar were already preparing for a dialogue with the government and the multicoalition forces this week. The paper had also reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari had agreed to replace the U.S. forces in Ramadi with local Iraqi forces as part of a deal in which the tribes promised to tighten the noose on foreign fighters. The deal was reached during a meeting between the prime minister, tribal leaders, and U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, according to the newspaper. The pressure on al Zarqawi occurs at a time of delicate negotiations between Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni parties to form a new government and underline the importance of fully including the Sunni minority in the political process.

[Southack]

"In my opinion, you are missing one significant thread. The Sunnis used to be clients of the Soviet Union. I believe they are currently functioning as clients of Russia. it should be clear by now to most people that the Iranians are clients of Russia."

Nope. The Mad Mullahs are idiots. Those Persians are backing Al Qaeda in Chechnya, whose Islamic fanatics have been blowing up whole apartment blocks in Moscow, seizing theatres, massacre-ing children in Beslan, etc.

What Putin has done is to set up Iran. Iran's nuclear ambitions, merily aided by the wiley Putin, will get the Mad Mullah's knocked on their heads, hard (either by the U.S. or Israel, possibly by both, perhaps simultaneously, or perhaps sequentially).

In this manner Russia makes out like a bandit by selling goods and services to Iran...then financial support for Putin's enemies in Chechnya dries up due to the attacks on Tehran...and the price of oil, Russia's key export item, skyrockets.

Putin is quite simply selling Tehran the rope that will be used to hang the Mad Mullahs.

Putin no more wants Iran to control Iraq (and its vast oil wealth) than he would want Chechnya to rule over Moscow.

But Russia's ability to project power (see: Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine) is very limited right now...so Putin is using his wiles rather than his military.

Which is to say that the U.S. and/or Israel will do Putin's dirty work for him when the time comes (later, not sooner).

[farlander]

I wouldn't be surprised they already disappeared him. If not already, his day is coming, and that real soon.

[prairiebreeze]

bump to read later

[Dan(9698)]

My son is on his way home from Iraq.

It is his third time over there.

[McGavin999]

All you have to do is prove to the Shieks that they can get richer by becoming traders than they are as smugglers and you've won.

As to the "insurgents" they will either become a functioning part of society or the tribes will slaughter them.

The most effective thing they could do is arrange for a week long trip for all the tribal shieks up to the Kurdish area where democracy already has a firm hold and they will be the strongest supporters of democracy in Iraq.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Please thank you son for me and my family.

[Dan(9698)]

I will.

We are going down to babysit while he and his wife have a few days alone.

He is a Weapons Director.

He sits at a console and directs the airplanes in the battlefield. He says it is the ultimate video game.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I'm only an "Operations Director". I'd much rather be a "Weapons Director". LOL!

[pfflier]

The implications are tremendous for Iraq, the American military presence in Iraq, and the war against al Qaeda. The tide has seemed to turn against the al Zarqawi network in Iraq

I'm stunned, that ABC actually said this.