Posted on 04/02/2009 6:12:57 PM PDT by forkinsocket
Sheik Hamid al-Hayess is not optimistic. A burly man with a thick black mustache and closely knitted brows, he is one of the founding members of the Anbar Awakening. The grouping of Sunni tribal sheiks in the once al-Qaeda–infested western province turned against the insurgents and sided with the U.S. military, providing the model for what became a nationwide campaign known as the Sahwa. But that model is in trouble. "The Sahwa has been infiltrated by al-Qaeda," he says somberly. "A civil war is coming."
If it happens, this time the lines in the sand will more likely be between Sunnis. Iraq's minority Sunnis have become increasingly split between those like Sheik Hamid, who are now allied with the Shi'ite-led government, and Sunnis who are against it. Some co-religionists remain so antigovernment that they either have returned to the insurgency or sympathize with those who have. (See pictures of the sheiks who helped bring stability to Anbar province.)
In recent months, al-Qaeda in Iraq and its affiliates have been regrouping, recalibrating their targets and tactics; they have recruited disenfranchised members of the U.S.-allied Sahwa movement, planting them as sleeper agents among the mainly Sunni neighborhood patrolmen, who number about 94,000 nationwide, according to a highly placed source close to the insurgency. "Many of the Sahwa have returned after seeking forgiveness, but they are still Sahwa," the source tells TIME. "They wear the government's uniform, but they plant explosives and sticky bombs. The Sahwa is the biggest recruiting pool for al-Qaeda." (See the most dangerous streets of Baghdad at the height of the insurgency.)
The source claims that some 40% of the Sahwa are insurgent spies. A senior source in the Interior Ministry who requested anonymity does not deny the infiltration but puts the figure at closer to 20%.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Time magazine? Consider the source.
Yea, I don’t put much faith in the source, but considering Zer0’s policies, not unexpected for the enemies to grow strong again. He’s emboldened them.
Time? I tuned them out in the 70s because of their dishonesty.
Yah, but it's his mess now. Still, pray it doesn't slide downhill for the sake of those who'd be caught up in it.
Now I am afraid that we may have wasted this Victory once we leave Iraq that early. Our terrorist enemies sense a great weakness in Obama and they are going to take advantage of it to the nth degree.
Amen.
I think Obama wants us to fail, both military abroad and economically here at home.
Our Troops and President Bush, a real president, had already achieved victory.
Obama is weak and the world knows it. al-Qaeda would be fools not to take advantage of this coward.
Our US troops are now pulling out from the cities and are having much less engagements than before.
Also once we leave Iran is going to try take over Iraq and there will be a war between Al Qaeda terrorists an the Iranian terrorists and both will be using Iraqis to fight each other. The fall of Iraq in the hand of these Al Qaeda and Iranian terrorists will distabilize the whole region and then we will have the a nightmare that we cannot even imagine.
J, this is one time I wish I didn’t have such high regard for your knowledge and instincts. I pray for our troops, their successes and sacrifices are deserving of so much more than this.
God bless our brave troops.
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