Michael Yon - al Qaeda in Nineveh

[jmichna]

From Western Nineveh Province, Northern Iraq
Michael Yon

Despite recent news reports, progress in Iraq continues. The 5th year, the 4,000th death... these are sad truths. Also true is that violence is down and al Qaeda loses ground day by day. The biggest challenge now is national reconciliation.

Nevertheless, I've planted myself up here in Nineveh where al Qaeda is making a last stand. They are putting up a good fight, but my gut instinct is that AQI will essentially be finished in Iraq by the end of this summer. This does not imply that they will be completely exterminated or that attacks will cease, but, for all intents and purposes, al Qaeda will have suffered a devastating defeat in Iraq.

Al Qaeda Central seems to have finally realized that the United States and Great Britain are the wrong animals to kick. They might prefer easier targets in Europe. Whatever happens, it's clear that al Qaeda is devastated here. What is left of al Qaeda here is being mulched, mostly up here in Nineveh, where I think there will be more fighting in the coming months.

Please read "Stake through their Hearts" to learn more about the fighting in Nineveh.

Michael Yon's Online Magazine

[Frenchy]

The biggest challenge now is national reconciliation.

And that's the rub!

[AZXD]

jmichna

[gsh341]

National reconciliation is the main problem once AQI has been dealt with and it will be easier to achieve if things quit blowing up all the time.

[jmichna]

Originally Posted by AZXD

jmichna

Answer to what question? Can you be more specific?

[AZXD]

Originally Posted by jmichna

Answer to what question? Can you be more specific?

Uhm, maybe a comment on the article.

[jmichna]

Originally Posted by AZXD

Uhm, maybe a comment on the article.

Got it!

I've enjoyed reading Michael Yon's "reports from the front" for some time, maybe three years. He seems to have enjoyed the respect of the various units (both US and UK) in which he has been embedded. I think Yon has good read on the pulse of the situation, and he has no political ax to grind as best I can tell. He calls things the way he sees them, and he adds context to the situations he reports. I take a lot of comfort in this latest dispatch re al Qaeda's desperate situation, and I hope he is correct in his assessment.

If you haven't yet, take the time to go to the link I provided at the bottom of the original post, and catch the whole dispatch.

[AZXD]

Originally Posted by jmichna

Got it!

I've enjoyed reading Michael Yon's "reports from the front" for some time, maybe three years. He seems to have enjoyed the respect of the various units (both US and UK) in which he has been embedded. I think Yon has good read on the pulse of the situation, and he has no political ax to grind as best I can tell. He calls things the way he sees them, and he adds context to the situations he reports. I take a lot of comfort in this latest dispatch re al Qaeda's desperate situation, and I hope he is correct in his assessment.

If you haven't yet, take the time to go to the link I provided at the bottom of the original post, and catch the whole dispatch.

A very reasonable assessment.
I agree!!!

But did want to check because we have a member who likes to use Michael's words to further his political agenda of how others should think about the war and our governments actions.

As has been pointed out, National Reconciliation is the big hurdle. I do not like that we stlll have troops over there doing the jobs they are doing. What that really means is that I wish the Iraqi government could get it together so our troops could come home to their loved ones.

Thanks for sharing!!

[KEVWYO]

Originally Posted by jmichna

Got it!

I've enjoyed reading Michael Yon's "reports from the front" for some time, maybe three years. He seems to have enjoyed the respect of the various units (both US and UK) in which he has been embedded. I think Yon has good read on the pulse of the situation, and he has no political ax to grind as best I can tell. He calls things the way he sees them, and he adds context to the situations he reports. I take a lot of comfort in this latest dispatch re al Qaeda's desperate situation, and I hope he is correct in his assessment.

If you haven't yet, take the time to go to the link I provided at the bottom of the original post, and catch the whole dispatch.

I've also been a Michael Yon reader for the better part of three years as well. I trust what he has to say because he calls a spade a spade and has been right far more than he has ever been wrong. And when he is wrong it's more a of a near miss. The guy is very inuitive of the situations in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is one heckuva writer. I've quoted and provided his links a time or two myself.