Al Qaeda going dark in Iraq

Bill Roggio:

Recent report from US commanders in Iraq have stated al Qaeda in Iraq has been set back by a combination of the latest offensive and the willingness of local Iraqis to turn on the terror group. Based Osama bin Laden's latest audiotape, al Qaeda central command agrees that the fight against the US and the Iraqi government is not going well.

A clearer picture of Osama bin Laden's view on the state of jihad in Iraq emerges after the release of the full transcript of Osama bin Laden's latest audiotape, Not only does bin Laden admit errors in the Iraqi leader's ability to unite the tribes and Sunni insurgent groups, he views the situation in Iraq as dire for al Qaeda. Bin Laden accuses his foot soldier of "negligence" for failing to properly employ IEDs, laments the unwillingness of Iraqis who do not wish to attack their brothers in the police and army, and closes his statement by saying "the darkness [in Iraq] has become pitch black."

Bin Laden addresses a tactical failure of al Qaeda in Iraq's IED cells. He clearly is unhappy with their performance, and indicated the failure to employ IEDs efficiently against U.S. forces is due to "negligence." He is also concerned about the infiltration of Iraqi and American spies.

...

There is much more. This is the most in depth analysis of Osama's statement about Iraq I have seen.

I do have to disagree with Osama on his infiltration issue. His problem is more one of desertion. People who worked with al Qaeda in the past have turned on the organization and are giving them up. That is how the counterinsurgency operation is succeeding. We have never been very good at infiltrating al Qaeda unfortunately. The Iraqis have found that the Americans are nicer than the al Qaeda forces and are less likely to chop off their heads. Osama now thinks the excessive head chopping was a mistake, but it is too late to reattach heads or change al Qaeda's image in Iraq.

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