As goes Ramadi goes Anbar Province, as goes Anbar Province so goes Iraq. The last bastion of resistance to a democratically run Iraq is the Sunni triangle. And the tide is turning against al Qaeda and the other foreign fighters and the insurgency as the Bush Surge starts to gain ground and momentum. And you know it is happening when the extremely liberal BBC is on the forefront of reporting on this momentous change. Here is part two of a series of reports that is not only shaking up Iraq – but will shatter the anti-war movement for a generation or two (part one here)

This is a tale of two Ramadis.

In one, violence is still routine. In the other, it is starting to become rare. The question is which one is going to win out.

Things appear to be at a tipping point, although that has been said plenty about Ramadi before.

The Americans see it as a “centre of gravity” in Sunni-dominated Anbar province, the beating heart of the insurgency.

They hope success here against the insurgents who have controlled the city for much of the past four years could have knock-on effects across Anbar.

That is why thousands of extra troops are being sent to Ramadi under President Bush’s surge plan.

…

I have come here on a joint Iraqi and American patrol, with the Iraqi police leading the way.

“This used to be an al-Qaeda stronghold”, said the police chief.

With the support of the local tribes and the Americans, he said, they had pushed them out.

But al-Qaeda has been very effective at heading off such moves in the past – killing and intimidating anyone who dared confront their supporters.

Both the Americans and the police chief think there’s now a new mood here.

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Democracy it is not, but it does appear to be providing the beginnings of stability.

The difference this time around is the plan for US forces to stay and stabilize the area, to make the environment so peaceful no one will want to return to the rampant and mindless bloodshed. al Qaeda has done much of the work themselves in their relentless brutality. A brutality that made some pine for Saddam again. But when peace continues to settle in, there will be no turning back.

So how could this destroy the anti-war left as well? Simple. The liberals have staked their entire reputation and legitimacy on their Chicken Little defeatism. And if proven to have been dupes and quitters to boot, no one will ever listen to another crazy rant of theirs again. No one will care about their wild stories of mythical conspiracies. The nutters will be relegated to those we pity, but do not lend an ounce of credence too.

So goes Ramadi, so goes Anbar and so goes Iraq. And so goes the liberal fringe into the dustbin of history. Is this world ready to trade a peaceful Iraq as an ally in trade for any remaining nostalgia left clinging to the madness of liberalism? Are you kidding – the entire planet would make that trade in a blink of an eye. Interestingly, we already did. Now we just wait and see if we get what we traded for. The season of doubt on Iraq was expected – as will the be relief and exultation if things turn around. The Democrat party, as we know it, is soon to be history.

In related news Sunni sections of Baghdad are being inflitrated by the surge, and I think this may be a repeat of an earlier story where Sunni tribesman have been allied with Iraqi and US forces to clear out al Qaeda insurgents. Or it could be another case of the same phenomena.