The Islamo Fascist movement in Iraq continues to show two expanding trends. First, the only thing groups like al-Qaeda can now do is kill massive numbers of innocent Muslims in a vain attempt to re-exert control of the local population. Second, the local population is turning on these bloody killers in ever increasing numbers. Many just by providing leads to the extremists desperately trying to hide out in a population rising up against them:

(CBS) The Army announced today that it captured the ringleader of a rocket attack on an American base last month thanks to a tip from an Iraqi.

“They are bringing these tips to us, telling us there is a bad guy here, a bad guy there, there’s a cache there, and we are going out and killing and capturing them,” said Col. Wayne Grigsby of the 3rd Infantry Division.

One hundred more helicopters were sent into Iraq as part of the surge, and in the last seven weeks have killed 63 of the enemy, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

Overall, the U.S. military claims 2,000 al Qaeda operatives have been killed this year. But the surge deserves only partial credit.

“It didn’t create the dynamic that’s most responsible for our progress against al Qaeda in Iraq. That came before the surge actually got there,” says Steven Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Biddle says the tide turned against al Qaeda when Sunni tribes came over to the American side. One U.S. commander says tribal chiefs can do things he can’t.

Actually, The Surge provided the security that gave the locals confidence they could turn on al-Qaeda. The fact is Iraqis are ready to side with us, all we need to do is show them we will be there and they do much of the rest. From tips to taking up arms, al-Qaeda is being hunted down by Muslims fed up with their killing and torturing ways. Far from failing, Iraq is proving to be the tipping point that will align the Muslim world against extremists and put them on a path to peaceful, if not challenging, co-existence with the rest of the world. Both Sunni groups like al-Qaeda and Shia groups like Sadr’s Mahdi extremists are being pounded – and the Iraqis seem to support the efforts. When Time and CBS notice, you know things have changed dramatically in Iraq.