Seize the Momentum

Now is the time to hammer it home...bring people together, act fair and generous with our former enemies, try to capitalize on the good news and get everyone we can to gang up on Al Queda everywhere and bring them down. In Iraq, Bin Laden last week essentially admitted defeat and mistakes and pleaded with mooj everywhere to assist his fighters who are getting their ass kicked by Iraqis teaming up with US troops.

In Pakistan, the army committed to entering the tribal regions and ridding them of the Taliban and AQ elements which use it as a rest and relief from Afghanistan. Bhutto is demanding the resignation of Pakistani Army and Intelligence officers with AQ sympathies.

We haven't had this much momentum in our favor on the WOT since 2002 in Afghanistan and early 2004 when Saddam was captured. Both of those opportunities were squandered...in 2002 we held back and trusted Afghanis to do the dirtiest work (as we are trusting the Paki army to do now)...and in 2004 we got cocky in Iraq and didn't forsee the ethnic tensions that AQ exploited.

I'm sure the situation in Iraq is still delicate, but there seems to be signs that all groups are tired of the violence and willing to work together in some capacity, especially to fight AQ. The US troops are not necessarily welcome or loved, but viewed as fair and necessary (and useful b/c if the locals rat out AQ, the US troops are ready to pounce).

I say we keep up the relentless pressure and try to bring as many partners as possible on board.