Al-Masri killed by Sunni tribesmen

Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq and Zarqawi's replacement -- dead, killed not by American or coalition forces, but by Sunni tribesmen. Yeehaw! Not just because he's dead (rather than captured), but because the local people were fed up with al-Qaeda, have been battling against them, and they took him out. The reports are not being confirmed or denied yet, pending DNA and other forms of confirmation. Yes another leader will soon step up and take over al-Qaeda in Iraq, but each dead leader is good news for everybody (except al-Qaeda) Abu Ayyub al-Masri (aka: the Egyptian; -- aka: Sheik Abu Hamza al-Muhajer' -- aka: the Immigrant)

Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, head of the Anbar Salvation Conference, claims fighters from his group engaged in a two-hour battle with Al Qaeda members and that al-Masri was among them.

Risha said that seven terrorists, including al-Masri and three other foreigners, were killed in the battle that took place between Tarmiyah and Samarra north of Baghdad. He said al-Masri's body was turned over to American forces who had arrived on the scene following the fighting.

The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella insurgent group, released an Internet statement: "The Islamic State of Iraq reassures the Ummah (nation) that Sheik Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, God protect him, is alive and he is still fighting the enemy of God," the Islamic State said in a written statement posted on a Web site commonly used by insurgents."

There's talk of the “Shiitization” of the Middle East, Sunnis converting to Shiites, something new, something true, go read it. The Sunni tribesman who killed al-Masri might take exception to this news.

Al-Masri's death, if confirmed, proably won't make any difference here in the United States with politicians. Rich Galen says the Democrats have put themselves in a strategic trap:

The problem for the Democrats is what we've been trying to tell them since this Congress opened for business: It's easy to be in the minority - all you have to do is say "No." When you are in the majority you have to actually cobble together legislation which (a) will pass the House (b) will pass the Senate and (c) will be signed by the President. (more)

Jeoff Metcalf, talks of compromising national security, specifically referring to Nancy Pelosi's trip to syria:

Edward R. Morrow once said, “Everyone is a prisoner of their own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices -- just recognize them.”

The problem for our elected leaders is their abject refusal to recognize and/or mitigate their prejudices. It seems whenever politicians (of any stripe) use foreign policy for political purposes they succeed only in undermining the policy and creating more victims.

Dennis Prager, in Even If Entering Iraq Was a Mistake, Leaving Is Worse, says 'the Left rarely asks "What happens next?"'

If we leave Iraq:

It will be a great victory for the most dangerous ideology on earth today. The people running North Korea are presumably as evil as the Islamists. [snip]

No one will trust America's commitment for the foreseeable future. [snip]

The very best Iraqis -- and members of their families -- will be slaughtered like animals. [snip]

The people we are fighting, including Osama bin Laden and all the variations on al Qaeda, know that the battle for Iraq is the battle for their future -- that if they win in Iraq, they win all over the Middle East and beyond; that if they lose there, America and the West win.

Many Americans have no "hope", and without hope all is lost. As the Webloggin Editor notes, most times all we hear is the "bad and the ugly", reports seem to leave out the "good", which means they are leaving out the "hope".

The mainstream media doesn’t have to stick to the formula of only reporting the bad and the ugly; it is a choice. Perhaps if they would branch out a little and report on some of the good we too could see the realities of what could be. Until then we are prisoners of their message of hopelessness that is unfortunately all too bad and very ugly.

Celebrate the good news today. Some of the Iraqi people stepped up, fought the enemy, and beat them. Isn't this what the Democrats wanted???

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Other important reading:
The Truth Laid Bear and Systemic Problems, by TexasFred (because he's asking what we have all been thinking)

Monday Open Linkfest at Third World Country (because he actually READS the posts who link to him)

Biden Doublespeak, by the Gentle Cricket and cross posted at 123Beta and California Conservative (because it's good, it's timely)

BetrayerS FroM Within, Woman Honor Thyself (because she speaks truth)

Update on Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman, The HILL Chronicles, (because bloggers around the world risk their lives every day to print the truth, and some of us sit in our safe homes/offices and gripe about insignificant things, shame on us)

Comments

[Layla]

Debbie thanks for the mention. I left you a comment to yours at my site. But my server was down--not your fault. Do not worry about it. I appreciate the mention so much. Thank you for caring about Kareem to mention him.

Sometimes in our quest to fight the terrorists we forget that there are those Muslims out there who fight them too and are now in jail suffering for it-an Egyptian blogger who only spoke the truth.

[Angel]

woohoo Debbie!..a light at the end of the tunnel perhaps?!..:)

[Stormwarning]

Debbie: At this moment, while there is truth to the in-fighting between Sunni and Shi'a, there appears to be NO such truth to the rumored death of al-Masri..."updates at eleven." Now 1300 CDT.