You think al-Qaeda is feeling the heat?
Zawahiri’s new video, an hour and a half long, has been posted on the internet. It is not clear when it was recorded.
In a wide-ranging review of developments in the Muslim world, Zawahiri lays great stress on the central role of Iraq.
He claims Iraqis are increasingly supporting the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq, proclaimed in predominantly Sunni areas by an al-Qaeda affiliate.
The success of the Islamic State, he says, is crucial to the revival of a global, pan-Islamic caliphate.
Zawahiri underlines the need for unity in Iraq – an implicit acknowledgement that splits have opened up in Sunni ranks.
The Americans and the Baghdad government have been encouraging Sunni tribal leaders to join the fight against al-Qaeda.
He disputes the claim that the Islamic State of Iraq lacks legitimacy and the trappings of statehood.
This video proves that securing Anbar and Diyala is quite important for the coalition seeing as how once we turned up the heat in those provinces Zawahiri starts crying that they are not getting the support they need. The second in command puts out a video to get more support before their defeat in those provinces is final….say’s it all don’t you think?
We’re on the right track.
My favorite line from this new video has to be:
Al-Qaida’s deputy chief called on all Muslims to join the holy war against the West.
“May Allah pluck out your eye if you haven’t yet seen that jihad is an individual duty,” the transcript quoted al-Zawahri as saying.
Ouch! Guess that will get them joining real soon.
UPDATE
So the terrorists get their marching orders the same day as the Democrats announced their marching orders: (h/t Tammy Bruce)
Five weeks after President Bush won unfettered funding for America to fight the war in Iraq until September, Senate Democrats will try again on Monday to end the war.
In order to successfully overturn a likely presidential veto of any effort that would withhold funding or mandate a retreat from Iraq, Senate Democrats will have to convince a third of the Republican caucus to vote with them.
This will require Democrats "continuing to punch, day in and day out," said Senator Biden of Delaware.
I wonder? Do they have fax machines in Senator offices?
UPDATE II
Chuck over at Americas North Shore Journal updates The Surge with some graphs:
Two things of note that I suspect you won’t see in the media.
IED deaths are down for June from the high in May. In fact, there were fewer Americans killed in Iraq in June than in May.
Combat deaths from non IED causes were down for the second month in a row. The trend indicates that the peak has passed several months ago.
He also put up some other points that were ignored by the MSM, those being the numbers of terrorists killed since Jan 2007 and other successes:
Other’s Blogging:
- Counterterrorism Blog
- Hot Air
- The Jawa Report
- Right Truth
- The Belmont Club
- A Blog For All
- Atlas Shrugs
- JammieWearingFool
- Stop The ACLU
- The Strata-Sphere
See author page
AQ’s done their part, now it’s time for the Democrats, weak Republicans, and the MSM to do their part by pretending we haven’t made any kind of progress. And, since the MSM always like numbers, the numbers in UPDATE II run counter to their “failure” storyline.
Great Post!
Thank’s for putting the stats up there.
At least you tell us of some good news going on.
It’s good to see the progress from someone who knows, rather than those who only print the bad news. We can and we must win in Iraq. Not just for America, but for the Iraqi people, for the Middle East in general, to defeat Iran, and ultimately for Israel.
Curt
Serious man, love your blog, but it doesn’t have the necessary reach.
Send this to Michele Malkin and let her give it a shout out on one of her Bill O’reilly substitute days. Would love to have her let a MNF source confirm the data and get some congress critter to read it into the congressional record and let the new Sec Def hold a press conference to shout the news out.
Al-Qaeda isn’t the only one feeling heat. Dems had better hurry up and let the air out of our tires before we win this war. (Though it will be hard to do without dealing with Iran.)
Thanks for the compliments guys…and ladies. Wish it did have the reach Slim and I do send some stuff their way hoping they find it interesting enough to post on it, don’t even have to link to me…just post on it, but we all do what we can.
Hmmm, Al Queda in Iraq’s leader said in late 06 that over 7000 Al Queda fighters had been killed in Iraq. US claimed that they could “only” confirm 4000 from Oct 04-fall 06. Now, we have the new offensive there and well over 3100 Al Queda killed in Iraq in just the past few months. Body count specifics aside, that’s a HUGE leap. Talk about gutting Al Queda…oh wait, “the war in Iraq has nothing to do with the war on terror” (says the Speaker of the House), and Iraq isn’t a war, but “a situation.”
Amazing.