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Michael Yon: "al Qaeda Has Lost or Will Lost in Iraq"

Who reports new from Iraq better than the MSM? Michael Yon, that's who. From Yon's dispatch:

Despite spending enormous energy trying to win their war in Iraq, it seems safe to say that al Qaeda has lost or will lose in Iraq. Yet even on the ropes, al Qaeda is still dangerous. They still blow up bridges and attack power stations. But so many groups have turned on al Qaeda that they are having a difficult time just breathing. They are still present and dangerous, but even Ansar al Sunhah has turned against them. When a group as crazy as Ansar al Sunnah turns against al Qaeda, AQ must be evil.

(HT: Little Green Footballs)

Americans are growing more positive about war in Iraq.

Meanwhile, what are Democrats in Congress doing to reward our soldiers and employees of our military? Why, throwing them out of work, of course.

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Iran's Given Up Developing Nukes? Eh, Not So Fast

The Wall Street Journal asks some pointed questions about the NIE that was released this week. The US intelligence community declared that Iran was developing nuclear weapons before they declared that it wasn't. Ed Morrissey thinks that the facts fit the "Iran continues to develop nukes" scenario.

Turns out that the Iran NIE was not a consensus finding.

The Israelis don't believe the latest NIE.

vadkins
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Is Watching Cable News as Under Cover as the CIA Gets?

Mark Steyn poses the question.

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Political Reconciliation in Iraq Continues

More bad news for Democrats, Prime Minister al-Maliki in Iraq has authorized the trials of two Shi'ite leaders. So it looks like the political reconciliation in Iraq that the Democrats have been complaining about is going forward.

vadkins
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Democrats Just Can't Get Enough of Defeat

Democrats have clearly defined themselves as the party of defeat in Iraq and in the War on Terror. With the success of The Surge in Iraq, and violence in that country continuing to drop, the Democrats in the US House unbelievably predictably want to force us into defeat.

vadkins
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Al-Qaeda Defeated in Iraq

Bin Laden is a brilliant guy? Er, not so much. He definitely does not understand how to make friends and influence people.

Yep, The Surge is definitely turning Iraq into a big win for the US.

vadkins
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Al Qaeda Defeated in Iraq?

The Iraqi Islamic Party is saying, "Al Qaeda is Defeated":

“Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated,” according to Sheik Omar Jabouri, spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party and a member of the widespread and influential Jabouri Tribe. Speaking through an interpreter at a 31 October meeting at the Iraqi Islamic Party headquarters in downtown Baghdad, Sheik Omar said that al Qaeda had been “defeated mentally, and therefore is defeated physically,” referring to how clear it has become that the terrorist group’s tactics have backfired. Operatives who could once disappear back into the crowd after committing an increasingly atrocious attack no longer find safe haven among the Iraqis who live in the southern part of Baghdad.  They are being hunted down and killed.  Or, if they are lucky, captured by Americans.

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Iraq Improving, Afghanistan Not So Much

Good news: our Iraqi allies managed to rescue anti al-Qaeda sheiks because the locals gave up the bad guys by informing on them.

But Michael Yon thinks that we could lose Afghanistan.

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Fighting al-Qaeda/Jihadism Both at Home and Overseas

She's right, when it comes to defeating al-Qaeda, the individual will save the day. In this particular case, a US citizen, Joseph Shahada is knocking deadly dangerous militant Islamist websites off the internet.

As to waging war against al-Qaeda in Iraq, Michael Ledeen writes that we could actually be winning the war In Iraq-in real terms. This is notable, because Mr. Ledeen expressed reservations about invading Iraq in the run up to the invasion there. It's notable also because Ledeen is an expert on the Middle East, especially Iran:

Should we declare victory over al Qaeda in the battle of Iraq?

The very question would have seemed proof of dementia only a few months ago, yet now some highly respected military officers, including the commander of Special Forces in Iraq, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, reportedly feel it is justified by the facts on the ground.

Captain's Quarters comments on Ledeen's piece.

The Asia Times reports that Pakistan has declared all out war on terrorists in Waziristan:

Just how important is this coming battle?

This could prove to be the turning point in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan while setting al-Qaeda’s operations back to where they were in 2003 after the Taliban was defeated. A “qualified” intelligence estimate is that pacification of the Waziristans would reduce the capability of the Afghan resistance by 85% as well as “deliver a serious setback to the Iraqi resistance” who depend on the bases in Waziristan for money, weapons, and logistical support.

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John Howard of Australia in Up Hill Election Fight

Prime Minister John Howard of Australia is one of my all time favorite world leaders, but he's behind in the polls before the election.

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