Why Al Qaeda Is Retreating From Iraq

The Strategy Page ^ | April 30, 2006 | Harold C. Hutchison

[Thebaddog]

Now this is good news. Betcha old Colin Powell is trying to take credit for this with one of his leaks.

And Howlin gets some indirect credit in paragraph four.

[CWOJackson]

"...the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq, a defeat has left that group largely discredited."

Not by our media.

[FairOpinion]

The first paragraph says it all.

"Despite the many brickbats of the media, al Qaeda has been defeated in Iraq, and is now retreating to lick its wounds where it can. If it can. Just over four and a half years, al Qaeda has gone from being the dominant terrorist group in the world to a defeated shell of its former self. In trying to defeat the United States, al Qaeda made three big mistakes: They fought the last information war, they underestimated the American leadership, and they also managed to anger the Iraqi people.

Thanks for posting the good news.

[Principled]

Great- find the rest and kill them.

Then build a fence on our borders.

Then eliminate the income tax!

[Principled]

And Howlin gets some indirect credit in paragraph four.

ANd Buckhead.

[FairOpinion]

More success in the War on Terror news.

[ex-snook]

Trust but I prefer the Terror Alert Flag lowering to verify.

[Andy28]

Hmm, good read and good points, never thought about it in that sense, but it is right.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I like this piece....

[csmusaret]

As proof of an al Qaeda in serious decline we have the release of tapes by all 3 of their biggest names within a matter of days. Empty threats and false claims by 3 desperate men.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

since al Qaeda has no safe havens where they can train new recruits, nor countries willing to support them.

I would not go that far. Iran is willing, Syria maybe and Russia is starting to make me nervous.

The USSR was THE biggest funder of terror groups in history. When it collapsed terror attacks dropped dramatically as their funding dried up. They were forced to turn to small potatoes countries like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya and also to blackmail. This got them some funds but they were not the powerhouses they were in the 70's and 80's.

All of this could change if Russia turns the tap back on. And frankly I do not trust them not to.

[Thebaddog]

I saw Howlin's posts first. I know Buckhead probably broke it, but Howlin gets my kudos as well as Buckhead.

[bnelson44]

These three mistakes resulted in the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq, a defeat has left that group largely discredited. Osama bin Laden is now reduced to making audio tapes with grand pronouncements which have little or no likelihood of ever becoming reality, since al Qaeda has no safe havens where they can train new recruits, nor countries willing to support them. In less than five years, al Qaeda has gone from being feared by the world, to little more than a sideshow in the long war that the United States is now fighting.

Hope he's right

[jazusamo]

Good article, thanks for posting.

Try as they may, the MSM is not going to keep a lid on this.

[Thebaddog]

Have you guys noticed any upsurge of stealth trolls on sites this weekend? I volleyed with some character about WMD's who just signed up yesterday. I lost track of him when I asked who he was going to vote for in 08.

[jazusamo]

Just recently I've noticed you can almost predict a sign up date by the sound of a post and I'm new.

[CBart95]

Your point is noted and well taken. BUT! Let's really SEE how many "legitimate" MSM outlets carry this piece without rancor or treating it like a neocon "PINATA".

(That was your bi-lingual mini lesson for the day in anticipation of National "Mexi-Monday" tommorrow.)

[Btrp113Cav]

you know what, I honestly don't buy this crap about Al-Qaeda in Iraq on the run. It's been posted several times since 2005, and people even claimed Zarqawi was being betrayed by his own groups. I don't buy it. Personally, I dont think our CIA and military intelligence agencies know their heads from their ass's. I think the Al-Qaeda in Iraq is being sheltered by Iran, and Syria. Mainly Syria because they are a Sunni/Baathist regime. Syria also supports the major influx of terrorist from lebannon, via damascus and allow terrorist to flow freely over the border. This month has been the deadliest for US troops for hostile fire. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is not licking its wounds, they are still managing to carry out some 60-70 attacks a day. We need to stay aggressive and really focus our attention in the Anbar Province and the border with Syria if we really want to win. We also need to start putting the fear in god into this villages that harbor these nut cases. If we don't start fighting this like a war we may very well lose.

[danamco]

And Howlin gets some indirect credit in paragraph four.

ANd Buckhead.



Haven't "seen" or heard anything from Buckhead since the fall of dan blather and his cohorts enabler???

[gandalftb]

The writer missed al qaeda's fundamental problem: Religious movements aren't good at proposing social change that makes people safer and more productive. They don't make the buses run on time. The majority of muslims are not very pious and religious, they don't go to mosque or do daily prayers at a rate that most other religions do.

So it was always unrealistic to think that al Qaeda would attract a mass following.

Al Qaeda's principle attraction was that it was a coalescing factor for anti-American, anti-Western hatred. And, they were the only game in town.

Al Qaeda failed to see that as soon as alternatives, such as self-government, were available, their inherant impracticality would show.

Al Qaeda actually hastened its own demise more quickly by taking such open stands in non-native surroundings. They are now seen as foreigners, the same as Westerners, and they did it to themselves!