Some Sunnis Targeting al-Qaida in Iraq

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer




BAGHDAD, Iraq - Residents reported curious declarations hanging from mosque walls and market stalls recently in Ramadi, the Sunni Muslim insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad. The fliers said Iraqi militants had turned on and were killing foreign al-Qaida fighters, their one-time allies.

A local tribal leader and Iraq's Defense Ministry have said followers of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, have begun fleeing Anbar province and Ramadi, its capital, to cities and mountain ranges near the Iranian border.

"So far we have cleared 75 percent of the province and forced al-Qaida terrorists to flee to nearby areas," said Osama al-Jadaan, a leader of the Karabila tribe, which has thousands of members living along the border with     Syria.

He claimed his people have captured hundreds of foreigner fighters and handed them to authorities. The drive, dubbed Operation Tribal Chivalry, is designed to secure the country's borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to prevent foreign fighters from crossing in.

After the U.S. invasion in March 2003, residents of the province

Some of these men may indeed be sincere in taking out Islamist fighters in Iraq, but their efforts are largely futile.  No matter how depressing it may be to admit it, the Islamists have widespread support in the Muslim world.  Just look at the Palestinian elections.  There was widespread corruption among Fatah, but I still doubt the majority of the Palestinian people would have voted Hamas in if they were in true disagreeance with their principles and beliefs.

You know what?  I have come to the point where I do not even care about the War on Terror or the Mideast.  I think at this point what we do or don't do has very little effect on the outcome of things there.  I think there are good people in the Middle East,  and that the Middle Eastern diaspora here in the States are good people.  But I think the culture of that region is insidious, backwards, and ignorant and I just don't even care what happens to those people anymore.  If they are content to stay miserable let them.  We have our own problems.

You know what?  I have come to the point where I do not even care about the War on Terror or the Mideast.  I think at this point what we do or don't do has very little effect on the outcome of things there.  I think there are good people in the Middle East,  and that the Middle Eastern diaspora here in the States are good people.  But I think the culture of that region is insidious, backwards, and ignorant and I just don't even care what happens to those people anymore.  If they are content to stay miserable let them.  We have our own problems.
I guess the reason why I feel that it's good news is that I served in the military myself, so I feel a certain kinship with our troops, and I want nothing more than for them to get out of that hellhole. And if the Iraqi people are starting to turn against al-Qaeda and the other outside extremists, then it offers me a bit of hope that maybe our troops can come home a little sooner.

And if the Iraqi people are starting to turn against al-Qaeda and the other outside extremists, then it offers me a bit of hope that maybe our troops can come home a little sooner.
Unfortunately Iraqis are also turning on each other and I don't think our troops will be home any time soon.
Another $7 billion down the drain...
:-[

i still think the whole "war against terror" is a front for getting a US military footprint in the ME region. it's a low-intensity conflict in the context of a long-term occupation, it's intended as such, and unless it gets too politically unpalatable for the republicans it will go on... and on... and on... and on... perpetually.

i guess i'm not too surprised some sunnis would turn on the foreign fighters since their tactics are so reprehensible.

I guess the reason why I feel that it's good news is that I served in the military myself, so I feel a certain kinship with our troops, and I want nothing more than for them to get out of that hellhole. And if the Iraqi people are starting to turn against al-Qaeda and the other outside extremists, then it offers me a bit of hope that maybe our troops can come home a little sooner.



I served in the military, too and I am appalled that we are even there to begin with.



Cat

I think that the insurgents tactics of blowing up Mosques is starting to backfire on them.  If you want to capture the "hearts and minds" of somebody, you do not do it by destroying their holy shrines.

Not to mention the car bombs and other attacks, which have been aimed at both Suni and Shia neighborhoods.

I think that the insurgents tactics of blowing up Mosques is starting to backfire on them.  If you want to capture the "hearts and minds" of somebody, you do not do it by destroying their holy shrines.

Not to mention the car bombs and other attacks, which have been aimed at both Suni and Shia neighborhoods.
Yeah, it's about as popular over there as the US policy of shelling and bombing entire civilian buildings because there might or might not be insurgents in them. talk about "hearts and minds." Isn't it something like 80% of iraqs want the US out? 40% think it's okay to attack Americans?

And then there's bush's poll numbers, now back down in the mid-30s.

This was is over. It failed. Actually it's hard to even say that because the people who orchestrated it were never even clear on what its goals were. But it's hard to imagine these goals had anything to do with how things have turned out.