Al Qaeda's mobile stronghold

Submitted by Bader S (United Arab Emirates), Mar 3, 2006 at 15:17

I agree with you, William Robert Jack, regarding the point that the Jihadists "have not settled into a clear terrorist stronghold".

But what the Jihadists have been able to do is far more dangerous. The Al Zarqawi network has been able to create a mobile and flexible logistical and training stronghold. The US and Iraqi forces have tried to eliminate this stronghold by attacking the towns in the Sunni triangle, towns that included al Qa'em and Falluja. But so far the US and Iraqis have been unable to eliminate this mobile stronghold in the same way that the Al Qaeda stronghold was eliminated in Afghanistan.

Proof of this failure includes the continued daily suicide bombings in Iraq, the attack from within Jordan against the port of Aqaba, the attack against the hotels in Jordan, the infiltration of Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza by Al Qaeda cells; and the recent attempt to attack a vital Jordanian civilian installation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4764366.stm).

It seems clear that the Alqaeda in Iraq is able to recruit, train and arm Jihadists from without as well as from within Iraq and then dispatch these Jihadists on missions in Iraq as well as to countries bordering or near Iraq.

I dont know how you would grade the US effort in Iraq in fighting Al Qaeda there, but to me it seems that Al Qaeda is slowly but surely expanding its operations from its mobile stronghold in Iraq.

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