Iraq: Al-Qaeda 75 Percent Gone

Asharq Alawsat reports 75% of Al Qaeda's terrorist network has been destroyed in Iraq, according to Iraq's interior ministry spokesman.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf said the disruption of the terrorist network was due to improvements in the Iraqi security forces, which he said had made strides in weeding out commanders and officers with ties to militias or who were involved in criminal activities. He also credited the rise of anti-al-Qaeda in Iraq groups, mostly made up of Sunni fighters the Shiite-dominated government has cautiously begun to embrace. Additionally, an increase in American troops since June has been credited with pushing many militants out of Baghdad.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf also stated,

"Their activity is now limited to certain places north of Baghdad," he said at a news conference. "We're working on pursuing those groups, that is the coming fight."

Separately, Iraq's chief military spokesman Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said,

Ahmed Turky Abbas, the "defense minister" of the Islamic State of Iraq — an al-Qaeda front group — was arrested in a village near Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, al-Moussawi said. Not far from Mahmoudiya in Latifiyah, the Iraqi army also arrested Hussein Ali Turky, considered a local religious leader for al-Qaida in Iraq.

Gen. David Petraeus went on to state,

Despite the success against al-Qaeda in Iraq, destroying the group is still a top concern for the U.S. military.

Meanwhile,

The radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday called for reconciliation between his followers and Iraqi security forces in the holy city of Karbala, according to al-Sadr aide Sheik Mohannad al-Gharrawi.

I find all these items interspersed in this article interesting.

First, Maj. Gen. Khalaf said the disruption of the terrorist network was due to improvements in the Iraqi security forces, which he said had made strides in weeding out commanders and officers with ties to militias.

Yet, al-Sadr on Saturday called for reconciliation between his followers and Iraqi security forces.

Guess I will say it, Sadr, the reason for the accomplishments noted is the fact that many of your followers have been weeded out from Iraqi Security Forces.

Secondly, Brig. Gen. al-Moussawi noted that Ahmed Turky Abbas, the "defense minister" of the Islamic State of Iraq was arrested in a village near Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad.

Yet, Maj. Gen. Khalaf stated that Al Qaeda's activity is now limited to certain places north of Baghdad.

Now, I am not sure this is a contradiction per se. Ahmed Turky Abbas could have been followed from northern Baghdad to southern Baghdad where he was captured or this could mean that their freedom of activities is limited to certain places north of Baghdad and if Al Qaeda moves into other regions other than certain places north of Baghdad that CLCs report them and they get captured. The later statement is probably closer to the truth.

This leads to another question, what are the certain places north of Baghdad. MNF-I has made great strides in clearing Al Qaeda along the corridor from Baghdad to Mosul as they have from Baqubah to Kanaqin from all accounts I have read; however, I have not read of any reports of attacks or battles from Kanaqin to Kirkuk.

Looking at a topographical map, the area to the northeast of this road tends to become mountainous.

One wonders if this is where the remaining 25% of Al Qaeda are waiting out and/or regenerating their forces? Is this the "coming fight" that Maj. Gen. Khalaf is talking about? And is this the priority for destruction that Gen. Petreous is talking about?

It will be interesting to see if MNF-I reports of captured/killed Al Qaeda terrorist begin coming from this area.