Sunnis Lead Charge Against Terrorists
This is a nice change.
The Sunnis are the key to success in Iraq. They had "most favored" status under Saddam Hussein and lost a lot of power when he fell. Because of that they have been the most resistant to the liberation and democratization process and have, in the past, supported the terrorist insurgency.
The fact that these people are now resisting the terrorists and vowing to participate in their country's newly-established democratic process instead of taking up arms against it is wonderful news and a major victory for freedom in Iraq. The Bush administration has long held that the Iraqi people would turn against the terrorists and fight for their own freedom, now it appears to be happening.
War critics (read: the media) have used the fact that this has happened before to criticize the mission in Iraq and imply that it is a lost cause, but given recent developments I think its fair to say that this criticism may be born more out of impatience and a "what have you done for me lately" mentality then sound analysis.
There is still a long, long way to go, of course, but this is a hopeful sign. A positive sign, and one that shouldn't be taken too lightly.
(via Protein Wisdom)
RAMADI, Iraq, Aug. 30 -- U.S. warplanes bombed alleged safe houses of Abu Musab Zarqawi's fighters near the Syrian border Tuesday in one of the strongest uses of air power in months, backing what leaders of one Sunni Arab tribe described as an unprecedented tribal push to drive out Zarqawi's forces.
Neither U.S. nor Iraqi officials gave death tolls. An emergency-room director, Dr. Ali Rawi, in the largest nearby city, Qaim, said at least 56 people were killed in Tuesday's air strikes and fighting, the majority of them apparently followers of Zarqawi. . . .
The clashes between Sunni Arab tribes and insurgents, coupled with growing vows from Iraq's Sunni minority to turn out in force for upcoming national elections, in a small and localized way meet one of the strongest U.S. hopes for defusing the insurgency. U.S. military leaders have repeatedly expressed the hope that public anger at insurgent violence would deprive insurgents of their Sunni base of support, and that the disaffected Sunni minority would look instead to the political process to defend their rights.
The Sunnis are the key to success in Iraq. They had "most favored" status under Saddam Hussein and lost a lot of power when he fell. Because of that they have been the most resistant to the liberation and democratization process and have, in the past, supported the terrorist insurgency.
The fact that these people are now resisting the terrorists and vowing to participate in their country's newly-established democratic process instead of taking up arms against it is wonderful news and a major victory for freedom in Iraq. The Bush administration has long held that the Iraqi people would turn against the terrorists and fight for their own freedom, now it appears to be happening.
War critics (read: the media) have used the fact that this has happened before to criticize the mission in Iraq and imply that it is a lost cause, but given recent developments I think its fair to say that this criticism may be born more out of impatience and a "what have you done for me lately" mentality then sound analysis.
There is still a long, long way to go, of course, but this is a hopeful sign. A positive sign, and one that shouldn't be taken too lightly.
(via Protein Wisdom)
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Ken McCracken
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