A prolific jihadist sympathizer has posted an ‘explosive’ study on one of the main jihadist websites in which he laments the dire situation that the mujaheddin find themselves in Iraq by citing the steep drop in the number of insurgent operations conducted by the various jihadist groups, most notably Al-Qaeda’s 94 percent decline in operational ability over the last 12 months when only a year and half ago Al-Qaeda accounted for 60 percent of all jihadist activity.
The author, writing under the pseudonym ‘Dir’a limen wehhed’ [‘A Shield for the Monotheist’], posted his ‘Brief Study on the Consequences of the Division [Among] the [Jihadist] Groups on the Cause of Jihad in Iraq’ on May 12 and it is being displayed by the administration of the Al-Ekhlaas website—one of Al-Qaeda’s chief media outlets—among its more prominent recent posts. He’s considered one of Al-Ekhlaas’s “esteemed” writers.
The author tallies up and compares the numbers of operations claimed by each insurgent group under four categories: a year and half ago (November 2006), a year ago (May 2007), six months ago (November 2007) and now (May 2008). He demonstrated that while Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq could claim 334 operations in Nov. 06 and 292 in May 07, their violent output dropped to 25 in Nov. 07 and 16 so far in May 08. Keep in mind that these assessments are based on Al-Qaeda’s own numbers.
The author also shows that similar steep drops were exhibited by other jihadist groups, and he neatly puts it all together in these two charts:
Look like they desperately need the support of their liberal komrades before they are all dead. Guess that “appeasement” thing just doesn’t work out too well for them.
[T]his defeat is not only a tactical one for the jihadists; this defeat is strategic in essence since it snuffs out their dream of resurrecting the caliphate, the raison d’être of modern jihad.
Winning the war in Iraq is strategically consequential. There will be long-term benefits to our hard-fought victory there.
Leftists unquestioningly embrace the doom and gloom prognostications of so-called climate “experts” with regard to the inevtiability of global catastrophe spawned by AGW, but they poo-poo the informed predictions of Bush and his administration with regard to the long-term benefits of Iraq as a stable democracy and ally in the heart of the Middle East.
EDIT: I couldn’t resist adding the following few lines from the article:
Thus, not only is America defeating Al-Qaeda militarily in Iraq but it is also squashing the grand jihadist vision for a caliphate that the Islamic State of Iraq stood for. This point is critical: in this ideological war, victory can only come about when the ideology of the opponent is negated and proven unworkable. The fight in Iraq is doing just that.
I’m not saying that the jihadists won’t keep trying to find a workable formula for the caliphate elsewhere, but for now they have been dealt a severe demoralizing blow.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it all ye calling for a hasty withdrawal.
The terrorist threat is not a military threat. Treating it like a military threat only plays into the terrorists’ strategy. Shame on you.
The Petraeus Offensive is working primarily because it is based on a counterinsurgency strategy. The terrorists in Iraq have been defeated militarily, vlad. If they can be defeated in Iraq, they can be defeated anywhere. But it requires determination and courage to see it through, qualities sorely lacking in the Democrat party.
When can our troops come home?
Uhm, how about when the freely elected Iraqi government tells us we are no longer needed?
Uhm, how about when the freely elected Iraqi government tells us we are no longer needed?
So you admit that your main goal is just to get more Americans killed?
Do you ever wonder why you are roundly and regularly mocked here?
There is a reason you are never taken seriously here. You are simply a one-note provacateur. SOME of your ilk are able to defend their position without the clueless, hateful one-liners. You KosKiddies need to grow up.
So you admit that your main goal is just to get more Americans killed?
My goodness, what a hateful thing to say. It seems to me that the anti victory crowd is now facing the need to consume a gourmet meal: Crow, pair with sour grape juice.
The simple fact is that the COIN approach is bearing fruit, and Iraq has turned the corner. Vlad’s response to this will be something like, “You powerliners have been saying this for five years.”
Which of course is just more sour grapes and crow.
Isn’t that on the same level as accusing you of wanting us to lose? Or are you just joking again?
In 1977, Randy Newman released an album with the song “Short People.” It became a surprise hit, and provoked protests from organizations of short people. The state of Maryland actually voted on a bill to ban the broadcast of the song.
In 2008, vladimir estragon made a completely idiotic statement that had no relevance to the debate at hand. He further demands protection from getting his feelings hurt, calling such statements evil, but reserves the right to hurl invective, unsupported assertions, and debate in a manner that fails to reach first-grade level, much less Oxford Union, then pouts that people always tell him that liberals are wrong. If his intellect is representative of liberals, it’s hard to believe they could ever be right.
You think the question of when our troops can come home is “nonsense”? I guess if their only purpose is to get killed so the right wing can get all sentimental about “those in harm’s way,” it probably is a nonsense question to you.
Yes, it is really a nonsense question since “coming home” and “troops getting killed” are not synomonous. I know I taught you that on another thread at another time.
Troops can stay there in victory and a cessation of violence: nobody getting killed and nobody coming home. Repeat after me, “Coming home is not an objective. Cessation of violence is an objective.”
One of the nice things about victory is that we can choose when we come home. The bad thing about defeat is that the enemy chooses when you go home.
You really have to stop hitting yourself in the forehead Vlad.
the simple historical fact is that those places that America choses to garrison prosper. So I’m in no hurry to “bring the troops home”. Judcar has this right. We won in Germany and stayed. We won in Japan and stayed. We fought to a standstill in Korea, and stayed.
We’re winning in Iraq, and we’ll stay. And the region will be better for it. Vlad has a hard time with this, as do most liberals. The liberals seem to associate the American military will all that is evil in the world, yet our military has been a massive force for good on this planet.
it is such a shame that hateful people like Vlad can’t get over themselves long enough to look at things differently. How sad. Such a pity.
Uhm, how about when the freely elected Iraqi government tells us we are no longer needed?
So you admit that your main goal is just to get more Americans killed?
No, vlad, my main goal in winning the Iraqi front in this GWOT is to prevent the genocide of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women, and children and support a fledgling democracy and ally in the heart of the Middle East.
the simple historical fact is that those places that America choses to garrison prosper. So I’m in no hurry to “bring the troops home”. Judcar has this right. We won in Germany and stayed. We won in Japan and stayed. We fought to a standstill in Korea, and stayed.
We’re winning in Iraq, and we’ll stay. And the region will be better for it. Vlad has a hard time with this, as do most liberals. The liberals seem to associate the American military will all that is evil in the world, yet our military has been a massive force for good on this planet.
it is such a shame that hateful people like Vlad can’t get over themselves long enough to look at things differently. How sad. Such a pity.
Did you know that the Green Revolution which has resulted in millions of people no longer starving to death had its origins in our occupation of Japan?
T. Paine, seriously, are you pulling my leg? Because I’m starting to think that you’re perfectly OK with dead puppies.
That’s not a denial.
A precipitous date-certain withdrawl that leads to the mass slaughter of thousands of Iraqis is a very real possibility that leftists like you don’t seem to care about, much less discuss.
If BHO is elected POTUS, he may go down in history as the greatest mass murderer of this century if he follows through on his promise to surrender Iraq to the Islamists.