Guardian

From The Times
July 23, 2007
Al-Qaeda faces rebellion from the ranks
Sickened by the group’s barbarity, Iraqi insurgents are giving information to coalition forces

Deborah Haynes in Doura

Fed up with being part of a group that cuts off a person’s face with piano wire to teach others a lesson, dozens of low-level members of al-Qaeda in Iraq are daring to become informants for the US military in a hostile Baghdad neighbourhood.

The ground-breaking move in Doura is part of a wider trend that has started in other al-Qaeda hotspots across the country and in which Sunni insurgent groups and tribal sheikhs have stood together with the coalition against the extremist movement.

“They are turning. We are talking to people who we believe have worked for al-Qaeda in Iraq and want to reconcile and have peace,” said Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, which oversees the area.

The sewage-filled streets of Doura, a Sunni Arab enclave in south Baghdad, provide an ugly setting for what US commanders say is al-Qaeda’s last stronghold in the city. The secretive group, however, appears to be losing its grip as a “surge” of US troops in the neighbourhood – part of the latest effort by President Bush to end the chaos in Iraq – has resulted in scores of fighters being killed, captured or forced to flee.


A key factor is that local people and members of al-Qaeda itself have become sickened by the violence and are starting to rebel, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael said. “The people have got to deny them sanctuary and that is exactly what is happening.”

Al-Qaeda informants comprise largely members of the Doura network who found themselves either working with the group after the US-led invasion in March 2003, or signed up to earn extra cash because there were no other jobs going. Disgusted at the attacks and intimidation techniques used on friends, neighbours and even relatives, they are now increasingly looking for a way out, US officers say.

“It is only after al-Qaeda has become truly barbaric and done things like, to teach lessons to people, cut their face off with piano wire in front of their family and then murdered everybody except one child who told the tale afterwards . . . that people realise how much of a mess they are in,” Lieutenant James Danly, 31, who works on military intelligence in Doura, said.

It is impossible to corroborate the claims, but he said that scores of junior al-Qaeda in Iraq members there had become informants since May, including one low-level cell leader who gave vital information after his arrest.

“He gave us dates, places and names and who did what,” Lieutenant Danly said. When asked why he was being so forthcoming, the man said: “Because I am sick of it and I hate them, and I am done.”

Working with insurgents – even those who claim to have switched sides – is a leap of faith for both sides. involved. Every informant who visits Forward Operating Base Falcon, a vast military camp on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, is blindfolded when brought in and out to avoid gleaning any information about his surroundings.

The risk sometimes pays off. A recent tip-off led to the fatal shooting of Abu Kaldoun, one of three senior al-Qaeda leaders in Doura, during a US raid last week. “He was turned in by one of his own,” Colonel Michael said.

Progress with making contacts and gathering actionable information is slow because al-Qaeda has persuasive methods of keeping people quiet. This month it beheaded two men in the street and pinned a note on to their corpses giving warning that anyone who cooperated with US troops would meet the same fate.

The increased presence of US forces in Doura, however, is encouraging insiders to overcome their fear and divulge what they know. Convoys of US soldiers are working the rubble-strewn streets day and night, knocking on doors, speaking to locals and following up leads on possible insurgent hideouts.

“People in al-Qaeda come to us and give us information,” said Lieutenant Scott Flanigan, as he drove past a line of fruit and vegetable stalls near a shabby shopping street in Doura, where people were buying bread and other groceries.

The informants were not seeking an amnesty for crimes that they had committed. “They just do not want to be killed,” Lieutenant Flanigan said.

Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – who was killed in a US raid last year – established the Iraqi al-Qaeda network in 2004, but opinions differ on its compilation, size and capabilities. Some military experts believe that the group is a cell-based network of chapters who are loosely linked to an overall leader by go-between operatives.

Others, however, describe al-Qaeda in Iraq as a sort of franchise, with separate cells around the country that use the brand – made infamous by Osama bin Laden – and cultural ideology but do not work closely with each other or for one overriding leader.

Despite the uncertainties one thing seems guaranteed. A hardcore of people calling themselves al-Qaeda in Iraq remains devoted to the extremist cause and is determined to fight on whatever the cost.

__________________
The history of the world is but the biography of great men.
-Thomas Carlyle

BudW

Sounds like wishful thinking to me,or out right BS.

gunnut

Lies! All LIES!!!

Harry Reid said the war is lost. He's a US senator. Everything he says must be true.

__________________
"Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

smilingassassin

I'd like to kick Reid right in the gonads.

__________________
Facts to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.

-- Larry Elder

The Black Ghost

Its good to know there is good news out there where there is usually bad news. And I think its important to note the truth about the insurgency -their methods are not those of freedom fighters, they are those of power-hungry, and often radical fundamentalists who are trying to make a point or prove their domination in the mid-east.

I think that this could be a good turn of events, when even the inside ranks of a terror group are split apart, fed up with the violence they supported.

__________________
'Much madness is divinest sense'

Shek

It's neither.

__________________
"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

Guardian

I would like to mention that I found this story from the London Times at their website thetimesonline.com. I then searched FoxNews, CNN, and MSNBC for the story. Only Fox had a link to the story. I wonder why the other news networks haven't reported the story. I wonder why liberals consider these turn of events wishful thinking or BS. Is it so hard to believe that Arabs are tired of their al Qaeda counterparts' acts of barbarism and inhumanity? Is it hard to believe that they're are good Muslims who believe in an ideology, but disagree with using torture and disagree with cutting people's heads, hands, faces, and genitals off in order to prove a point? If you can't see the inevitability of such events you must be blinded by liberal pacificism. Even amongst the enemy there are good men; good men that will stand up to injustice among their own ranks. Perhaps this surge will work. I think Pres. Bush is more or less a fool in his handling of the war, but I must say that I do support General Petraeus and I do support the troop surge.

BudW

Al-Qaeda rebellion in thier ranks story is total BS in my opinion are there diffrences on how to prosecute the insurgency with in the ranks sure there are,but to a degree that AL-Qaeda is comming apart is wishful thinking, Al-Quada see's the will of the US goverment caving, The Iraq goverment will be going on vacation as coalition forces are being killed each day, great for moral eh? coaltion forces are fighting with their hands tied with the ridiculous rules of engagement that are in place.

Guardian

The will of the US gov't is being broken by US and Western liberals. The conservative hawkish Americans want to win, almost at any cost. al Qaeda isn't demoralizing US forces or the coalition. Soft, feeble liberals who wish to stop the fighting are demoralizing the troops and undermining ANY chance of success. I ride the fence politically, but not when it comes to foreign policy.

Liberals are all too happy at the great distress of the wars. It helps them prove their point that Bush and his administration are incompetent. But politics is not supposed to undermine a country. If the Dems win in '08, the the will of the US will be broken and al Qaeda will know that they have won.

The two American political parties are really digging that line in the sand. LIberals like Harry Reid WANT the US to fail because it makes his party look more legitimate. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are more than happy to play the appeasement game and leave Iraq in a precipitous withdrawal. Meanwhile, Republicans support the surge and expect to see results.

BudW, I do not understand your logic in thinking that al Qaeda CAN NOT have internal strife. The violent acts of al Qaeda most certainly violate sacred teachings from the Quran. It is totally plausible, and expected, that good Muslims amongst the ranks of extremist organizations would rebel against such acts of hatred. It works in much the same way that many Americans do not support their country. Many Americans have ill-will towards the ACTIONS of the Bush Administration (like going to war) and therein rebel and stop supporting the movement.

gunnut

Maybe we should wish for a democrat to be president in 2008 so the liberals will rubber stamp any war we conduct and the press will cheer us on with gusto.

People think the republicans are warmongers. Not true. Democrats have fought the bloodiest wars in the 20th century and racked up around 700,000 dead Americans in the process.

TopHatter

You were there, so naturally you would know.

BudW

Senator Warner and Lugar are far from liberal so its far from just liberals that have second thoughts about staying the course in Iraq, Iam not saying there is not any internal strife in Al-Quada Iam saying i dont think its at a level that would cause any operational problems, How does the west prevail in Iraq when the armed forces have to fight under such foolish restrictions? If the Iraq Goverment is going on vacation whats that tell you about the mind set of the Goverment? Do you think Iraq is now in civil war? thanks for your opinions iam asking to get your points of view.

TopHatter

What foolish restrictions are you referring to?

I haven't the slightest idea. I'm neither an Iraqi parliamentarian, nor am I living in Iraq. That tends to put an entirely new look on things.

Simply my uneducated opinion, but I would say that a civil war would need to involve active violence widespread throughout the country and involve fighters of mostly - if not all- domestic origin, encompassing a significant portion of the population.

Anything else is an insurgency by a minority.

BudW

Restrictions like the following your patrol is attacked you have unarmed people pointing out your position you can not shoot those people because they are unarmed,or a squad is attacked by a insurgent he slips away however you call his Discription in to other units they see the guy running away hes dropped his weapon or hide it you can not shoot him, I seen these accounts on the military channel by troops. Also we are not allowed to fire on a masque .

Officer of Engineers

We have already have big evidence of internal AQI disruptions. The former head of AQI was given up by an underling.

__________________
Chimo