Synergy in June: Will This be the Turning Point?

It’s been well over two weeks since Zarqawi met his maker. By now, he is surely not much more than a burnt offering being presented to the Devil, who himself is probably turning up his nose. Despite the stench from Hell, those left among the living in Iraq have likely found the aftermath highly encouraging.

As we watched this story unfold, many will remember that in addition to the house where Zarqawi was holed up, 17 other locations were also being watched and the Zarqawi bust was only one of several successful raids that took place on the same day or shortly following. That in itself was a story, illustrating as it does, that some very good cooperation and skillful management of intelligence and police action is taking place in Iraq and the credit can go, partly at least, to the training Iraqi enforcement agencies have received from Americans.

Shortly after the day this sweep took place, news came of documents and a laptop being found in the house where Zarqawi was killed yielding a wealth of information. Whether true or not (how could a laptop survive the bombing, some have asked), there have been numerous further raids and arrests since that most auspicious event. Obviously some excellent information had been scooped from somewhere, as several key Al Qaeda figures have been captured or killed. One senses from the pro-democracy Iraqi bloggers and their allies in the West, as well as from the news itself, that a critical turning point was achieved on that day.

This was also, of course, the day Maliki announced the completion of his cabinet. Prime Minister Maliki appears to be "The Man". Within a few short days, very decisive and effective action has been taken. A massive search and arrest sweep of Baghdad has begun, featuring long awaited security measures for the beleaguered capital. A door to door census is underway. Iraq the Model has kept its readers up to date on these developments, posting six times since June 14th on the new government’s initiative. A drop in terror attacks, in Baghdad at least, has been notable

Could this be the beginning of the end for terrorism in Iraq as a whole? One can only hope so. A number of Iraqi bloggers have suggested in their blogs more than once that securing Baghdad is the key to securing the country.

Iraq has so much to show to the world. I have no doubt that once peace is established the Cradle of Civilization will rise to greatness once again, as it has so many times throughout its ancient history. We can only wait and see, but no war lasts forever and there are so many good things happening that the main stream news does not cover, I am very confident that a strong and vibrant model of democracy in the Middle East is about to have its debut.

Oh. And in other news. Saddam Hussein narrowly escapes death. After missing one meal, he declares his hunger strike over. What a relief!! What a lion of a man!! What a joke!!!