Iraq - Losing a fatal blow to al Qaeda?

The Daily Times thinks so. So do I.

According to bin Laden, Iraq, seat of the historic Muslim caliphate, is the central battle of a Third World War, launched by the Crusader-Zionist coalition against the Muslim community: “The whole world is watching this war,” offering “a golden and unique opportunity” to bloody America and spread the conflict into neighbouring Arab countries like Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian-Israeli front.

Little wonder, then, that bin Laden and his lieutenants are alarmed at early signs of political progress bringing Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders together to assemble a unity cabinet. Such a new political day would spell ruin for foreign militants like Al Qaeda; conceivably Sunni Arabs would turn on the Zarqawi network. It’s happened already: In some towns, Sunni tribes killed scores of Zarqawi’s men and chased others away.

In fact, it's much worse than that for al Qaeda in Iraq. Six tribes banned together and declared war on al Qaeda. On top of this, Iraqi citizens in increasing numbers are tipping off coalition forces to al Qaeda safe houses. Here's why.

The Zarqawi network has become a liability to Sunni tribes who suffer economically, feel marginalised politically, and resent being lumped together with Al Qaeda. They want to participate in political and economic reconstruction of the country and set their own agenda.

For example, Sunni leaders are engaged in intense political negotiations with their Shiite counterparts to give their community adequate and fair representation in the new cabinet being formed. Some leading Sunni leaders have also publicly distanced themselves from Al Qaeda in Iraq and called for its military defeat.

As a result al Qaeda is panicing and its top 3 men issued rallying calls in the same week.

There is a pronounced urgency in the new propaganda blitz by Al Qaeda’s leaders. They sense danger in Iraq. By approaching the media, they hope to reaffirm their existence and inspire their sympathisers to continue the fight in Iraq and elsewhere. Although bin Laden and his men are waging a global struggle against the US and its allies, Iraq has emerged as the most pivotal theatre. Al Qaeda barely survived the loss of its Afghan base; the loss of Iraq could prove to be more devastating.

But the cut and run Democrats, aided by the left wing media, want us to lose.
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