Iraq is stepping up the effort to take control of their country on many levels. First there is the grass roots effort to defend and fight the terrorists. Now there is the security forces efforts to do sweeps in Baghdad and other regions know to be collecting points for terrorists.

Iraq’s interior minister said Monday that capturing insurgent leaders like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is not important: Instead, the key to ending the Iraqi insurgency is cutting off the flow of recruits.

Bayan Jabr told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that al-Zarqawi was weaker after a recent crackdown in Baghdad by 40,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops. He said a new anti-insurgency operation would begin next week targeting areas surrounding the capital.

There is also stepped up pressure on Syria to get their act together (mentioned earlier here)

Jabr also demanded that Iraq’s neighbors – especially Syria and Jordan – take stronger measures to stem the flow of militants and money for the insurgency from their territory into Iraq. He said he had pictures and addresses of insurgents in Syria.

And there is an interesting observation on the import of Zarqawi, which may be due to the regional drop off in support for Al Quaeda

“It is not important to capture or not capture al-Zarqawi,” Jabr said. “The problem is not to let al-Zarqawi get more followers.”
…
But Jabr said al-Zarqawi “is weak now” after coalition forces forced him from Baghdad. “He needs more followers. He needs more fighters,” he said.

I think the terrorists are about spent, and I believe those covering for them are tired of their brutal failures across the board. Lots of blood and carnage and nothing to show for it. The handwringers in the west are the same liberals who have been wringing their hands for 3 years now. And in all cases they have lost political ground.

Ask anti-war liberals if they are better off now than in 2002? OK – never mind. They have no clue how badly their positions have detoriated. Al Quaeda will give up before the leftward fringe will….