Iraq has become do or die, but not for America. It has become do or die for al-Qaeda. The Islamic Fascist movement was at one time, right after 9-11, considered the probable future of Islam. But al-Qaeda’s brutal and blood thirsty nature was exposed in Iraq, as it has spent years massacring Muslims in an attempt to dominate the Iraqi people into submission. Instead what happened is the Iraqis rose up and fought al-Qaeda, pushing them out of their homeland and their future. al-Qaeda is the enemy of Islam in Iraq, not its future.

Right now the war in Iraq is not sectarian or a civil war – it is the war for the heart of Islam in Iraq between somewhat moderate iraqis and the jackboot fascists of al-Qaeda. And the fascists are losing:

Al-Qaeda calls the local security forces “the most dangerous enemy” it faces and ordered more attacks against the groups, according to a document captured last month. The letter from an al-Qaeda regional commander to a subordinate was dated Jan. 3, 2008.

The letter was among a series of documents found last month by U.S. soldiers in a network of tunnels in Samarra, a city north of Baghdad, according to Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman. The letter detailed recent al-Qaeda attacks and urged more assaults on the volunteer groups.

“They’re going after them as enemy No. 1,” Smith said.

The number of attacks against the local security groups increased to 100 last month from about 25 in November and about 50 in December, according to Multi-National Force-Iraq.

The statistics indicate the effectiveness of the attacks is declining. In December, more than half the attacks resulted in death or injury. Last month, 35% of the attacks resulted in casualties.

While it has been slow going, the progress against al-Qaeda has been consistent and expanding. And now US and Iraqi forces are preparing for a second ‘surge’ of forces into the Northern areas of Iraq to push out the final remnants of al-Qaeda thugs.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promises to launch a “decisive” battle to drive militants from a city that has become an important hub for al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Nineveh Deputy Governor Khasraw Goran announced that a security plan to “impose law” will be launched soon in Mosul to cleanse the province of insurgent elements. The Nineveh Operations Room is making final preparations.

The Iraqi government decided to launch the security operation after an explosion in the Zanjali quarter of the city left 36 dead and nearly 240 wounded.

“Because the situation in Mosul is different from the other Iraqi provinces, the campaign to rid it of gunmen requires massive effort and preparation. The situation in Mosul is maintained by ethnic ideas and streams and backed by several external sides,” said Goran while presenting a seminar entitled “Situation of Mosul and its future” at Duhok University.

He added that three towns within the province require a wider campaign, including Mosul city (center of Nineveh), Talafar, and Al-Bi’aj, and said that the operation will be successful with “the support and help of the people.”

We should all pray the Iraqis succeed. al-Qaeda (like Hillary Clinton) cannot continue to take defeats indefinitely. If successful it should seal al-Qaeda’s fate, and doom its future in one of the largest and most educated Arab countries in the world. It also should be noted to the ‘surrender at all cost’ crowd this effort is being led by Iraqis in tandem with US forces. Another sign that Iraq is standing up a free democracy in the Middle East.