Ralph Peter’s column in the NY Post manages to capture many of the thoughts and ideas that we have discussed over the past few weeks regarding Iraq.

Here are a few excerpts from Mr. Peters’ piece, Winning In Iraq (and losing in Washington).

A trusted source in Baghdad confirmed several key developments that’ve gone largely unreported. Here’s what’s been happening while “journalists” focused on John Edwards’ haircuts:

* Al Qaeda lost the support of Iraq’s Sunni Arabs. The fanatics over-reached: They murdered popular sheiks, kidnapped tribal women for forced marriages, tried to outlaw any form of joy and (perhaps most fatally, given Iraqi habits) banned smoking. In response, the Arab version of the Marlboro Man rose up and started cutting terrorist throats.

* Since the tribes who once were fighting against us turned on al Qaeda, our troops not only captured the senior Iraqi in the organization - which made brief headlines - but also killed the three al Turki brothers, major-league pinch-hitters al Qaeda sent into Iraq to save the game.
Oh, and it emerged that the Iraqi “head” of the terrorists was just a front - in the words of one Army officer, Omar al Baghdadi was “a Wizard of Oz-like creation designed to give an impression that al Qaeda has Iraqis in its senior ranks.”

* Al Qaeda has been pushed right across Anbar, from the once Wild West to the province’s eastern fringes. The terrorists are still dug in elsewhere, from the Diyala River Valley to a few Baghdad neighborhoods - but, to quote that senior officer again, “our forces have been taking out their leaders faster than they can find qualified replacements.”

Even the Democrats yearning to become president admit, when pressed, that al Qaeda’s a threat to America. So why didn’t even one of them praise the success of our troops during their last debate?

But let’s be fair: Congressional Republicans, terrified of losing their power and glory and precious perks, haven’t rushed to applaud our progress, either. They’ll give up Iraq, as long as they don’t have to give up earmarks.

* It isn’t only al Qaeda taking serious hits. After briefly showing the flag, Muqtada al-Sadr fled back to Iran again, trailed by his senior deputies. Mookie’s No. 2 even moved his family to Iran. Why? Though he’s been weak in the past, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is now green-lighting Iraqi operations against the Jaish al Mahdi, the Mookster’s “Mahdi Army.”

It was Michael Yon’s recent dispatch, 7 Rules, 1 Oath, expressing the cautious optimism that the Iraqis can make it, that raised the hopes of many of us who actually want the US to prevail. At what point, I wonder, will the facts on the ground begin to outweigh the rhetorical surrealism that infects the idiot party?

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