Free Republic

How splits among insurgents in Iraq are erupting in violence and putting al-Qaeda on the defensive Even by the standards of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the suicide bombing in Ramadi on Jan. 5 was stunning for its audacity. The bomber had blended into the ranks of Iraqi police recruits outside the Ramadi Glass and Ceramics Works before blowing up his explosive vest, loaded with ball bearings for maximum devastation. The blast killed two U.S. service members and more than 70 Iraqi police recruits--but it also turned out to be a deadly miscalculation by the jihadis and their leader, Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi....

A number of insurgent groups have refused to take orders from al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, since elements linked to his Tawhid e Jihad formation killed a number of tribal and religious leaders, according to well-informed sources in the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, in Iraq's central Anbar province. " There have been armed clashes in the past few days between al-Zarqawi's supporters, and elements from the national resistance," sources speaking on condition of anonymity told Adnkronos International (AKI). These clashes gained momentum after a number of local tribal leaders created a 3,000-strong militia whose mandate is to protect...

Iraqi rebels turn on Qaeda in western city Mon Jan 23, 12:23 PM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi nationalist rebels in the Sunni Arab city of Ramadi have turned against their former al Qaeda allies after a bomb attack this month killed 80 people, sparking tit-for-tat assassinations. Residents told Reuters on Monday at least three prominent figures on both sides were among those killed after local insurgent groups formed an alliance against al Qaeda, blaming it for massacring police recruits in Ramadi on January 5. "There was a meeting right after the bombings," one Ramadi resident familiar with the events...