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The link of al-Qaida and the insurgency
Published on September 5, 2005 By mgosh In Current Events
However, Iraqi authorities said the bodies of three community leaders who had refused insurgent demands for help were found Monday in the city. Iraqi officers said gunmen swept through the victims' districts over the weekend as fighting around the city escalated.

In Baghdad, thunderous explosions and volleys of heavy gunfire rattled the downtown area soon after sunrise Monday as about four carloads of insurgents staged a lightning raid on the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for police and paramilitary units nationwide.

The insurgents, who fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, withdrew after about 15 minutes, leaving two policemen dead and five wounded. There was no report of insurgent casualties.

A statement posted Monday on an Islamic Web site claimed responsibility for the attack in the name of al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Jordanian terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The point of that quick snippet of the article is to point out the obvious to those who deny it. The insurgency is lead by foreign nationals who's goal is to commit terrorism and to attack the U.S. There is a war of terrorism and it is being fought everyday.

Very recently I had a discussion with someone who told me that insurgency is not an accurate term for the people fighting because the people fighting the U.S. are Iraqis. I corrected that misinformation. Then I was told there is no link of Iraq and al-Qaida, again I corrected that misinformation. People honestly believe that this is just a civil war brought on by the people of Iraq against U.S. forces. The article clearly states who is leading the insurgency.

Comments
on Sep 05, 2005
Can you establish an Al-Qaida/Iraq link, pre-US invasion?
on Sep 05, 2005
Whether or not Al Qaeda was in Iraq prior to our return to hostilities with Hussein is a legitimate topic for historic discussion, however, no one can deny that today Iraq is not only part of the war on terrorism, but it is the epicenter of that war.

To surrender in Iraq IS to surrender to Al Qaeda and to abandon the people of Iraq to the bacteria.

Only the most inhuman among us would wish on the Iraqi people what we would be responsible for allowing if we betray those people now.
on Sep 06, 2005
The Al-Qaida link at the pre-invasion stage was not my current point. I am stating that currently Al-Qaida is in Iraq, and that they are trying to seize power there. That was the point of the article. Not to speculate whether or not they were present before the invasion, but dealing with the realities on the ground today. I just know from discussing it with my friends and family that they are not aware that Al-Qaida is in Iraq at the present time, and they are not aware the insurgency is being lead by Al-Qaida.

I agree and it would create a dangerous precedent for the rest of the world. Just thinking about Al-Qaida achieving victory this way makes me shudder. Think about it, a terrorist organization with the resources and manpower of Iraq. They would be able to achieve catastrophic chaos.
on Sep 06, 2005
Then I was told there is no link of Iraq and al-Qaida, again I corrected that misinformation. People honestly believe that this is just a civil war brought on by the people of Iraq against U.S. forces. The article clearly states who is leading the insurgency.


Most people (apparently not the ones you know, however) understand that Al-Qaeda has now infiltrated Iraq and is fueling the insurgency. I doubt many people would dispute that.

However, your title "Al-Qaida = Iraq" seems a tad bit misleading, as there is MUCH debate over whether Al-Qaeda had established themselves in Iraq prior to the US led invasion. Many supporters of the war use this "link" to provide justification for the war in Iraq.

Upon rereading your article (without considering the title), it seems clear to me that you are referring to the current Al-Qaeda presence and not the speculated pre-war connection.

I think the two topics (how and when Al-Qaeda began operating in Iraq in relation to US intervention there) are fairly entwined, and it's difficult to thoroughly and adequately discuss one without discussing the other.
on Sep 06, 2005
Most people (apparently not the ones you know, however) understand that Al-Qaeda has now infiltrated Iraq and is fueling the insurgency. I doubt many people would dispute that.


That's the point I'm trying to share I know it's like beating a dead horse, but people have that belief that the insurgency isn't an accurate term and the people fighting the U.S. forces are heroic militas. Gladly you know the issue better than that.

Perhaps a better title would be current Iraqi = Al-Qaida.