Like the Republicans, al Qaeda is in desperate shape. Just as George Bush Jr. insists that US forces must stay in Iraq because the Terroristsâ„¢ are there and want them out, the “foreign fighter jihadist types” need the American presence to fight. Without the occupation, the Sunni Iraqis – Religious or Ba’athist – lose their incentive to harbor the jihadists who are now useful against the Americans.
In other words, if the US leaves, “al Qaeda in Iraq” is out of a job.
See, for example, “Zarqawi’s successor,” Abu Hamza al-Muhajer (aka Abu Ayyub al-Masri). He is so frightened that the recent Iraq Mandate election in the United States will lead to a withdrawal, he has released a tape railing against Bush, questioning his manhood and such, apparently hoping that a last ditch, call-you-chicken-in-front-of-your-girl-type insult will give Bush some fresh talking points to keep this farce/tragedy going.
It will probably work. From CNN:
“‘Come down to the battlefield, you coward,’ the speaker says on the recording, which CNN cannot independently confirm as the voice of al-Muhajer.
Calling President Bush a ‘lame duck’ the speaker tells Bush not to ‘run away as your lame defense secretary ran away,’ referring to Donald Rumsfeld, who resigned Wednesday.”
The criminals in the Bush administration and the foreign jihadists need each other desperately. The people of Iraq and the United States need neither.
Comments welcome at Stress.