Friday, August 12, 2011

More Bark Than Bite?

So I've noted that I have some worry over Moqtada al-Sadr's potential to incite violence and that I have some worry that al Qaeda in Iraq could reconstitute as a real threat.

Strategypage says neither is in any position to do much harm:

While there are still lots (well, at least a few thousand) Iraqi Sunni Arabs supporting terrorism, but fewer and fewer choose to kill in the name of al Qaeda. The once leading terror organization has fallen on hard times. The recent death of founder Osama bin Laden has accelerated the decline. Recent Internet messages from the al Qaeda in Iraq leadership have urged members to spend more time carrying our criminal scams, because the organization was broke. Recruiting has been more and more difficult, and now there are public pleas for Sunni Arabs who joined government militias four years ago, to accept an al Qaeda amnesty and return to Islamic terrorism. Not many takers for that offer, partly because al Qaeda is seen as a bunch of losers, and partly because the government still pays the pro-government Sunni Arab militias. Follow the money if you want to find the truth.

And:

Pro-Iranian Shia leader Moqtada al Sadr is threatening violence against any American military and police trainers who remain in Iraq once U.S. combat troops withdraw by the end of the year. Sadr’s Mahdi Army was defeated by Iraqi forces in 2008 and he was forced to flee to Iran. Sadr has since returned, and pro-Iranian terror groups have become more active. But Sadr has been more bluff and bluster than real threat. Iran is still controlling Iraqi Shia terrorist groups, although Sadr can sometimes be difficult for everyone.

I feel better. But as long as they are around they are potentially dangerous, depending on the breaks. I'd rather remain to influence the breaks.