Al-Qaeda’s Media Plan

Breitbart has a translation of a key al-Qaeda in Iraq strategy document found during last week’s raids. The document indicates that the joint American/Coalition/Iraqi counterinsurgency plan was working, and working well. The closure of the Euphrates smuggling corridor meant that al-Qaeda was having a difficult time obtaining weapons, supplies, and converts. It is believed that there were around 110 active members of al-Qaeda in Iraq. 104 of them are now killed or captured. It’s clear that the operational capacity of al-Qaeda in Iraq hasn’t just been compromised, it’s nearly destroyed.

Also of note is al-Qaeda’s chief plan for rescuing their dire situation:

1. To improve the image of the resistance in society, increase the number of supporters who are refusing occupation and show the clash of interest between society and the occupation and its collaborators. To use the media for spreading an effective and creative image of the resistance. (Emphasis mine.)

Another point in the document:

6. To create division and strife between American and other countries and among the elements disagreeing with it. (Emphasis mine.)

The American left and the media are acting as force multipliers for the enemy. Whether intentional or not, they were and are assisting al-Qaeda in the spread of agitprop and working to degrade our very successful military operations in Iraq. That should give both pause – then again, both are in deep denial about the nature of this war and the enemy we fight.

This is a war about the freedom of the Iraqi people and the safety of the American people – two concepts which are now intertwined. If Iraq falls, it will leave the Iraqi people in anarchy at worst and autocracy at best, and it will also leave America considerably less safe. We cannot afford to allow al-Qaeda to achieve a victory through our weakness that even their concerted strength could not achieve. The left cannot hide the fact that leaving Iraq will make us less safe, and while they can complain about the war all they like, the responsible ones cannot condone the Murtha/Kerry policy of shameful retreat.

UPDATE: The Christian Science Monitor has more on the greatly weakened state of the insurgency.

Much hangs on whether we’ll be able to keep the pressure up and prevent the terrorists from reforming into a more cohesive organization. If we can, the events of the past week may well mark a turning point in the battle for a free and democratic Iraq.