A pretense that The Surge is working actually accomplishes two purposes for al Qa'ida. As mentioned, it creates a political atmosphere in which Bush's heir, McCain, is more likely to win in November. However, the U.S. is not the only one engaged in a long, bitter war. So, obviously, is al Qa'ida. A temporary lull would allow al Qa'ida to re-group, re-arm, and recruit and train additional mujahidin. Shockingly, the American corporate media is playing right along with the Pentagon's script. Al Qa'ida in Iraq is broken and beaten, helping to account for the reduced casualties the past few months, notwithstanding the sometimes vicious rivalries between the Sunni and the Shi'a.
On the other hand, does anyone really believe anything the corporate media says these days.
The writer sincerely hopes he is wrong. No one, including I, wants to revisit the cycle of death and destruction in Iraq that we have seen over the past five plus years. It is strongly hope that we have seen the last of killing on a grand scale. This article is merely a product of my skepticism about any good news from Iraq.
Sandy Shanks is the author of The Bode Testament and Impeachment. He is also a retired columnist who specialized in political/military affairs.
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