Another sign we are winning the Global War on Terror.

TCS Daily has a good article on the mindset of Al Qaeda as it analyzes a recently released letter from "Atiyah" to Zarqawi.

The letter contains strong evidence of fear, doubt and impending defeat on the part of Al Qaeda. It appears that five years of war and defeat in battles have shaken the 9/11 certitude of al-Qaida's senior fanatics.

This is why operations like Operation Medusa that killed 1,1oo Taliban in Afghanistan are so important. This is why Operation Forward Together in Baghdad is so important. The enemy see President Bush as an anomoly. While many past presidents have left once US troops died (Reagan in Beruit, Clinton in Somalia), Bush seems to be staying the course despite low approval ratings. His recent public speeches stating that it doesn't matter who wins Congress, he will not leave while he is President is so essential to our effort. Similarly, it is also why the cut and run policies of the Democratic leadership is so damaging.

War is hell. I have been there. However, war is also grueling and wears on both sides. The side that it wears the less on usually wins in the long run. For all our technology, wars are still about attrition. Technology has made major combat operations less about attrition, but results in a insurgency that still must be attrited as the enemy is not completely destroyed during major combat operations.

The firebombing of Dresden and the loss of millions of troops were some of acts that resulted in the utter defeat of Germany during WWII and once at Berlin, Germany unconditionally surrendered. However, smart bombs target the enemy's means to wage war, resulting in Armies removing their uniforms and fighting an insurgency. This is what we are seeing in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is not that President Bush and the military did not have a plan for Phase IV, it is that modern warfare ensures Phase IV becomes the decisive battle as opposed to a mopping up operation.

We are in decisive battle. We are winning. Al Qaeda is losing. They are on their last leg. 1,100 dead Taliban prove this fact despite the fact that they now have a base in Waziristan to operate from. 25 of 31 Anbar tribes fighting against the insurgency in Iraq prove this fact. Hundreds of tribes joining Maliki's national reconciliation plan prove this fact.

Now is not the time to cut and run. Now is the time to finish the job so our children don't have too.

Americans are tired, but so too is our enemy. The difference is that after a year our forces get to come home and be with their families, watch TV, enjoy their freedoms, and forget the war. Our enemy, on the otherhand, only has a cold, damp cave. That is the way to win this war.