Saturday, October 22, 2005
Al Qaeda in Jordan and the battle for Iraq
Not that we're surprised or anything, but a witness in a terrorism trial in Jordan has testified to links with al Qaeda:
(Broken record alert) We have been at war with al Qaeda since long before our decision to remove Saddam. Whether the fruits of strategy or the result of a blunder, the United States is now in a battle with al Qaeda in Iraq. Al Qaeda is quite obviously pouring resources into the struggle. Our strategy must be -- and indeed seems to have been -- to divide al Qaeda from its Ba'athist rejectionist allies and destroy it in detail, with a goal toward humiliating al Qaeda and discrediting it as a political and military force. Regardless of the security situation in Iraq or the success of the Iraqi political process, we should not withdraw as long as there is any chance that al Qaeda might appear victorious. To do otherwise would undermine security in the entire region and perhaps the world, whether or not Iraq is otherwise secure and prosperous.
Islam Ahmed Al Naqab, a witness, has confirmed before the court that Khaled Khair Sarkush, one of the defendants, has asked him to recruit elements, which are ready to fight the American forces and Iraqi police. He said, “Khaled told me that Al Qaeda would send people to Iraq. He promised to give me phone numbers of people in Syria, confirming that the organization would finance them." The witness added that the defendant asked him if he went to Afghanistan and he answered with 'yes', and he offered helping him to enter Syria from the smuggling road to handle training there, and he accepted that.
(Broken record alert) We have been at war with al Qaeda since long before our decision to remove Saddam. Whether the fruits of strategy or the result of a blunder, the United States is now in a battle with al Qaeda in Iraq. Al Qaeda is quite obviously pouring resources into the struggle. Our strategy must be -- and indeed seems to have been -- to divide al Qaeda from its Ba'athist rejectionist allies and destroy it in detail, with a goal toward humiliating al Qaeda and discrediting it as a political and military force. Regardless of the security situation in Iraq or the success of the Iraqi political process, we should not withdraw as long as there is any chance that al Qaeda might appear victorious. To do otherwise would undermine security in the entire region and perhaps the world, whether or not Iraq is otherwise secure and prosperous.
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