Al Qaeda Working Freely in Post-War Iraq

Instead of finishing off al Qaeda in Afghanistan when it had the chance, the Bush administration diverted resources to fight a war of its choice in Iraq. The consequences for America's security are dire. A devastating report released yesterday by the British parliament concludes the failure to secure Iraq has provided an opening for new al Qaeda operations. The report was released the same day Iraqi officials postponed an important national political conference after a rash of terrorist kidnappings and car bombings in the country.

• The failure to secure Iraq has created a new terrorist breeding ground where none existed before. As the British House of Commons report states, "Iraq has become a 'battle ground' for al Qaeda, with appalling consequences for the Iraqi people…The Coalition's failure to bring law and order to parts of Iraq created a vacuum into which criminal elements and militias have stepped."
• The Bush administration's inability to control post-war Iraq played right into the hands of our opponents. The Commons report also finds that the new violence and rising insurgency is a direct result of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq, particularly the failure to put adequate troops on the ground; the dissolution of the army; and the "heavy handed" tactics in places like Fallujah.
• The situation in Iraq is growing worse, and without a plan, it won't get better any time soon. Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse not better. The report concludes: "The security situation has deteriorated further in the six months since our last Report, with an alarming increase in the number of attacks in the approach to the handover of sovereignty. Although the handover was brought forward in an effort to forestall the threat of terrorist violence, no immediate cessation is expected."

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