Addendum: Reader Kathie notes none of this would be happening if we had not gone into Iraq and exposed al-Qaeda’s true brutal nature. The Muslim world would still be naively singing al-Qaeda’s praises instead of distancing themselves from its atrocities if we had not taken the battle to them. A very good point Kathie! – end addendum

Iraq is a success for many reasons. The two largest components of the success is the intolerable violence al-Qaeda inflicted on Iraqi Muslims and the Surge tactics of going into the communities to find allies and protect the Iraqis from al-Qaeda atrocities. These two actions by the opposing sides in Iraq led the way to a sea change re-alignment in the Iraqi Sunni Muslim community. Once allies and supporters and cover for al-Qaeda’s jihadists, the actions of al-Qaeda and the offer of protection by US forces turned the Muslim Iraqis against Bin Laden’s thugs.

I have said many times the atrocities of al-Qaeda were so brutal, so wide spread, so indiscriminate that the broader Muslim world would ALSO turn on al-Qaeda, just like the Iraqi Muslim community did. We recently saw one Islamist leader in Saudi Arabia denounce al-Qaeda. And even more recently we saw an Islamist pal of Bin Laden’s in Europe publically al-Qaeda’s atrocities against Arab Muslims.

Even as the liberal left continue to deny the damage al-Qaeda has done to itself in Iraq, and why Iraq is more than just a military failure for the fascists movement, the jihadists are not so blinded. They have come to the point where al-Qaeda’s signature tactic of fighting US efforts and allies in the streets of Arab Muslim countries now forbidden. al-Qaeda’s brutal tactics are literrally being removed from the Jihadists’ handbook and they are being told to stand down operations in Iraq:

Jailed Egyptian terrorist leader, Sayd Imam, ideologue of the Islamist group, Jamaa al-Islamiya, is to release a new manual expected to call for an end to militant operations in Arab-Islamic countries and the killing of civilians.

The controversial new manual written by Sayd Imam and a group of Egyptian Islamic Ulema or scholars, will be released in Egypt on Sunday and is expected to shake up al-Qaeda.

Sayd Imam, a surgeon still known by his underground name of “Dr Fadel”, is expected to stress his distance from the al-Qaeda terror network in the book and strong criticism of the organisation’s strategy.

The new manual will call for an end to all Jihadi operations inside Arab-Islamic countries as well as an end to the killings of civilians in general and tourists, in particular, of all nationalities.

…

According to the Saudi newspaper al-Watan, Sayd Imam was forced by the Egyptian authorities to write this document while in prison. The 80-page book appears to have been written in exchange for money.

Despite this, al-Watan, believes that its criticism of al-Qaeda is likely to have a direct influence on the organisation and in particular on Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s second in command.

Al-Zawahiri was a good friend of Dr. Fadel, who is well-known throughout the Jihadi world for having written some of the most important books on Jihadi ideology.

Sayd Imam’s manual is expected to generate a crisis within al-Qaeda.

Imam’s lawyer, Montaser al-Zayyat, told the Egyptian newspaper al-Misriun, that Osama Bin Laden has begun a series of consultations within the terror organisation to prevent new divisions. There is concern that Sayd Imam’s manual may provoke discontent and defections within al-Qaeda.

I would not be surprised if we actually do see public calls for al-Qaeda to cease operations in Iraq (i.e., surrender Iraq) from Bin Laden and Zawahiri. The pressure being put on all Jihadists by the West is quite enormous. And now the Muslim community sees they are the biggest victim of al-Qaeda’s brutality. Between the international pressure and the fact they are the ones dying at al-Qaeda’s hand the Muslim community is clearly at the breaking point with Bin Laden. He has produced nothing since 9-11, except large graveyards of his Muslim victims.

It seems the liberal Surrendercrats and SurrenderMedia here in the US were not able to salvage a victory for al-Qaeda out of Iraq. They did not know it, but the seeds of this defeat were planted (and evident to some like me) in March of last year – when the first infighting occurred between inside the jihadist movement (see here and here). Here is what I said back in March 2007 from the first link:

I still say the chemical attacks and suicide bombings of innocent Iraqis by al Qaeda was the last straw. That kind of indiscriminate killing, loved by the Bin Laden’s Butchers, is not what any Iraqi wants as the basis of life after the Butcher Saddam Hussein. They may not like the US, but they want to live and their families to be safe more than they want the US out.

I was pretty much on target back then. al-Qaeda was losing control and responding violently, which created an even bigger backlash against them, which they decided (wrongly) required even more violence. The chemical attacks on Iraqi Muslims WAS basically the last straw. al-Qaeda has been on the run from Americans and Iraqis ever since.

Given the unambiguous result of al-Qaeda’s atrocities in Iraq, is it any wonder that not only the Muslim community but the jihadists community are now running away from al-Qaeda and condemning its actions? Only a BDS blinded liberal would be surprised at this turn of events. And it seems some in the SurrenderMedia are starting to awaken from their delusions of an inevitable al-Qaeda success in Iraq.