THREE interesting things have happened since President Bush announced plans to "surge" U.S. troops in Iraq.
First, al-Qaeda appears to be retreating from Baghdad. A military intelligence officer has confirmed to Richard Miniter, editor of Pajamas Media, a report in the Iraqi newspaper al-Sabah that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has ordered a withdrawal to Diyala province, north and east of Baghdad.
Mr. Masri's evacuation order said that remaining in Baghdad is a no-win situation for al-Qaeda because the Fallujah campaign demonstrated the Americans have learned how to prevail in house-to-house fighting, Mr. Miniter said.
(snip)
A strategic withdrawal makes good sense from al-Qaeda's point of view. It's better to live to fight another day. The intelligence officer who was Mr. Miniter's source thinks Mr. Masri is a more formidable opponent than was his predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who, ironically, met his end after an encounter with an F-16 in Diyala province.
But al-Qaeda's leaving Baghdad will give the Iraqi government and the Americans a chance to assert control in contested neighborhoods, which will make it difficult for al-Qaeda to return.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070127/COLUMNIST14/701270382/-1/NEWS24
He's still wanted:
http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/index.cfm?page=masri