December 17, 2007

British "Fleeing" Iraq: Zawahiri

The number two man in al-Qaeda has decided to take the British turnover of Basra to the Iraqi central government out for a little jihadi spin. Ayman al-Zawahiri claims that Britain has not left Basra because of a successful transition to Iraqi security forces, but because of successful action by the "mujaheddin" in Basra. Of course, the al-Qaeda "mujaheddin" haven't come within a hundred miles of Basra, but Zawahiri doesn't let that interfere with his propaganda:

Al-Qa'eda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri has said Britain's decision to hand control of Basra to the Iraqi government shows that the insurgency is stronger than ever.

In a newly released video Osama bin Laden's deputy mocked the "decision of the British to flee" and said it follows the growing strength of the Mujahideen.

He also claimed that coalition control in Iraq is deteriorating "despite their desperate attempts to deceive and mislead".

The 98-minute video with English subtitles, released to coincide with the formal handover of power, was sent by the terrorist group to a US intelligence group which tracks jihadist activities.

Here's Ayman in the AQ Spin Zone:

The British have come under fire at their bases since their announced departure, but Zawahiri's minions had little to do with it. The British got caught up in the crossfire between the Badr Brigades and the Sadrist Mahdi Army, two native Shi'ite militias. The Badr Brigade has since signed an alliance with the central government, while Moqtada al-Sadr has spent the last few months trying to purge the Mahdis of rebellious elements. Iraqi security forces have performed well since that time.

Zawahiri needs a public-relations victory so badly that he now relies on old stories that favor his enemies in Iraq. Neither the Badr Brigades nor the Mahdi Army have any love for AQ. In fact, AQ itself made sure of that by fomenting the sectarian violence that erupted in earnest with their attack on the Golden Mosque in Samarra. Zawahiri wanted to provoke the Shi'ites into attacking the Sunnis so that the latter would have to ally with AQ for their own protection. Instead, AQ demonstrated its despicable brutality, which gave the US its opening to act as both protector and arbiter for all sides, until Iraqis finally realized they'd been played as fools by AQ.

AQ has lost on all fronts over the last two years except Pakistan. Even there, they live unmolested but isolated almost completely. They have little rational hope for victory, so they rely on fantasy instead. That apparently includes the fantasy hordes of AQ mujaheddin in Basra who have made it so difficult for the British that they can hand over control to the Iraqi government AQ hates.

Posted by Ed Morrissey on December 17, 2007 7:42 AM | Comments () | TrackBacks (1)

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BASRA — Prime Minister Gordon Brown, making a surprise visit to troops in Iraq last week, announced that Basra will be handed back to Iraqi control within two weeks. Addressing troops at the Contingency Operating Base at Basra, where most of the Uni... [Read More]

Tracked on December 17, 2007 1:38 PM

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Captain Ed is a father and grandfather living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, a native Californian who moved to the North Star State because of the weather. He lives with his wife Marcia, also known as the First Mate, their two dogs, and frequently watch their granddaughter Kayla, whom Captain Ed calls The Little Admiral.

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