So I find this interesting and would love to see statistics over the last year or two. Note these events in Iraq:
--Raids against al Qaeda's network on August 6, 7, and 8 resulted in the death of 19 operatives and the capture of 44. (Including leaders)
--On August 5, Coalition forces killed four al Qaeda operatives and captured seven during raids in Balad, Samarra, and Fallujah.
--On August 4, Iraqi Army Forces and U.S. Special Operations Forces captured five insurgents who were behind IED attacks in the Thar Thar region.
--A senior member of an al Qaeda in Iraq beheading and torture cell in Karmah was also captured near Fallujah on August 4.
--On August 3, Iraqi Security Forces captured the al Qaeda in Iraq Emir in Samarra, along with his assistant.
--Also on August 3, Iraqi and U.S. forces captured two members of an al Qaeda IED cell near Taji and three members of an al Qaeda cell responsible for facilitating Iraqi insurgents and foreign fighters in the Qaim region in Western Iraq.
--The Kuwaiti News Agency reported that a new offensive against al Qaeda was kicked off on August 4 "in the area extending from Had-Muaskar area to north Baqubah." This is a region believed to be infested with al Qaeda fighters. Five al Qaeda were killed and ten captured, KUNA reported.
--Meanwhile, Voices of Iraq reported a key al Qaeda leader and 36 operatives were captured in Diyala.
"Captured." The jihadis didn't fight to the death, hoping to take at least one infidel down with them?
They surrendered. We captured them.
I don't know if this surrendering thing is something that I've missed all along, but this really leaped out at me.
In April 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War (the First Gulf War, as far as I'm concerned) the Iraqis finally recaptured the Fao peninsula which had been captured by the Iranians in February 1986 and held in the face of fierce Iraq counter-attacks in the months that followed. When the Iraqis struck in April 1988, the Iranian defenders collapsed with barely a fight:
The Iranians were overwhelmed and showed no spirit of resistance. While it is true that the Iraqis outnumbered the Iranians by 8 to 1 odds, the contrast is amazing between April 1988 and February 1986, when Iranians fought hammer and tong for every square inch of worthless swamp on that peninsula. The day that Iranian infantry could not exact a heavy price for the terrain on which they stood was the day that Iran lost the war. April 18, 1988 was that day.
When fanatics surrender, and fanaticism is their trump card, the utter defeat of the fanatics cannot be far behind. (Though how this affects Shia fanatics is another matter)
So is this a new trend or one I've just noticed now?
