Pat Dollard asks the question,
Al Qaeda In Iraq Is Roundly And Soundly Rejected By Its Former Hosts. So Now Just How Does Public Enemy #1 In Iraq Survive? And What Will The Democrats Do Without Their #1 Ally?
Dollard is talking about an article in Time which begins,
Al-Qaeda has lost its most powerful friend in Iraq: Harith al-Dari, the country's most influential Sunni cleric and a prominent anti-American figure, has rejected al-Qaeda's vision of an Islamic state, telling TIME that Iraqis "will not accept such a system." In a sharp departure from his long-standing view of the terror group, al-Dari now says al-Qaeda has "gone too far." He also repudiates recent statements on Iraq by Osama bin Laden's deputy, saying: "Ayman al-Zawahiri doesn't represent Iraqis."
But al-Dari's change of heart on al-Qaeda is not necessarily good news for the Bush Administration...
Of course not. In a world where there is no good news for the Bush Administration -- anywhere, ever -- how could this be considered good news? But you can't help but notice that a road map of sorts is taking shape.
Like many other Sunni leaders, al-Dari says al-Maliki's efforts at sectarian reconciliation have been empty promises. "All he does is say, 'Come and join us,' " he says. "But he doesn't change any of the things that make us feel we are being victimized by his administration." For there to be any meaningful reconciliation, he says, the government must first dismantle the interior and defense ministries, which are currently controlled by Shi'ite parties, and bring back some senior officers from the old army. "Once these ministries are under the control of professionals instead of sectarian interests, you will see peace returning quickly," he says. "And then the Americans can leave with their dignity and leave us with ours."
The fact that Sunni leaders are talking about conditions that will end the conflict should never be considered good news for the Bush Administration, though. No. Not good news. Never.
Comments