Imagine the affect on Allied troop morale, planning, and espionage had US troops found Hitler’s diary during the Normandy invasion.
Something close, in the strategic sense, happened recently in Iraq. US fighters seized the diary of an al Qaeda in Iraq leader. The journal provides our side with names of terrorists, descriptions of their tactics, evidence of their atrocities, and catalogs of their weapons.
Just as important, though, the book proves that we are winning and the terrorists are losing.
Abu Tariq, a probably pseudonym, writes extensively on the Iraqi natives who have turned on al Qaeda to join forces with the US and her allies. From the Washington Post:
In another entry, Abu Tariq listed the names of some tribesmen who had remained loyal to al-Qaeda in Iraq, noting that “there are very few tribe members who stood by us.” He boasted that 16 of his fighters had raided the houses of Awakening fighters, “killing and injuring a lot of them” and burning some of their vehicles, “which affected their morale and resources tremendously.” [source]
The guy clearly enjoys killing, the way others might enjoy a good steak or a beer.
The Washington Post story seems downcast, as if the author were recounting the demise of his heroes:
He also provided detailed information about five battalions of fighters, all weakened by desertions or dismantled.
I’m a bit surprised that WaPo carried the story. The major media have ignored good news from Iraq for months. The diary story confirms what we have been saying along: the fight is going well, and American victory is at hand.
Hang in there, Americans.
Public Ponderings has an enjoyable “translation” of Abu Tariq’s diary. Amy Proctor’s headline is the one I wish I’d written: “Recruitment/Retention in Iraq Down for Al Qaeda.”