May 2, 2007
WHAT IF IT'S ALL WEAKNESS?:
Exploiting Al-Qaida's Weaknesses (Austin Bay, 5/02/07, Real Clear Politics)
Fearing an American and Iraqi strategic victory (creating a democracy defending itself against terrorists), Zarqawi saw only one strategic option: exploit Iraq's Shia-Sunni religious divide by slaughtering Iraqi Shia civilians. The Shia would respond to al-Qaida's terror attacks by igniting a "sectarian war." He believed the religious war would "rally the Sunni Arabs" to al-Qaida. This war against Shiites, he wrote, "must start soon -- at "zero hour" -- before the Americans hand over sovereignty to the Iraqis." [...]This week, Reuters reported an Iraqi government claim that Zarqawi's successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, had died in a battle with "Sunni Arab insurgent groups over al-Qaida's indiscriminate killing of civilians and its imposition of an austere brand of Islam in the areas where it holds sway."
To date al Qaeda's sole success remains toppling a conservative government in Spain and replacing it with appeasers. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 2, 2007 10:53 AM
They have gone a long way towards capturing the 'sympathy' (if not the admiration) of the Democratic party as well, no?
Posted by: ratbert at May 3, 2007 7:30 AMWow, a very succint article that explains much. Until recently, I have not had a handle on the division in the Sunni population which seems to be key to this whole thing.
So if I'm General Petraes, I work by day to exploit native Iraqi Sunni against insurgent al-Qaida Sunni and by night planning how to bring radical Shia into the fold with the aim of having them support the new government instead of allying with Iran. Did I forget anything?
Posted by: Perry at May 3, 2007 9:02 AM