Al-Qaida surges back in Iraq, reviving old fears

Yahoo ^

[nuconvert]

(excerpt)

Al-Qaida has come roaring back in Iraq since U.S. troops left in late 2011 and now looks stronger than it has in years. The terror group has shown it is capable of carrying out mass-casualty attacks several times a month, driving the death toll in Iraq to the highest level in half a decade.

[hinckley buzzard]

Quite sad, indeed tragic. We made a big splash over there, and the ripples were pretty impressive for awhile. Now it has all returned to baseline and the pond scum has restored itself.

[expat2]

Yes. However, I don’t think it quite returned to ‘normal’. Things were stirred up enough for the age-old sectarian battle between Shia and Sunni to be re-ignited in Iraq and Syria, and thus with the ME as a whole.

[okie01]

Quite sad, indeed tragic. We made a big splash over there, and the ripples were pretty impressive for awhile. Now it has all returned to baseline and the pond scum has restored itself.

All because Obummer couldn't be bothered to negotiate a Status of Forces agreement...

[DemforBush]

Not at all surprised, though it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth. So many of our men and women in uniform paid the price in Iraq with their blood, sweat, and tears...

Afghanistan will be even worse, I fear.

[Shadow44]

I agree. Iraq may get messy, but the Shiite majority can crush Al-Qaeda by resorting to massacring the Sunnis. Not that being Iran’s proxy is all the wonderful.

Afghanistan’s likely to just go back to the way it was before 2001. God have mercy on them.

[RipSawyer]

“The Shia/Sunni war is heating up again.”
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That makes me feel about the same way as I would imagine General Custer might have felt had he been told that all the tribes of the western plains were engaged in a free-for-all battle among themselves. Send wagon loads of firewater and ammunition.