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Petraeus on al Qaeda, U.S.
Progress in Iraq,
Troop Reductions and Relations With Iran
By Yochi Dreazen
The Wall Street Journal
November 21, 2007
Below are edited excerpts of the
discussion Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in
Iraq, had Tuesday with Wall Street Journal reporter Yochi
Dreazen. (See related article.)
* * *
On Al Qaeda in Iraq:
At some point there has to be a sign to the
people that security is enabling the beginnings of a better
life, which obviously garners their support for the security
effort. I do think there has been a pretty substantial
recognition among Sunni Arabs, in particular, that al Qaeda
Iraq is not for them. They have looked at it as they did not
it in the past. In the past they saw it as synonymous with
resistance. They now look at it as what it is -- a
Taliban-like extremist terrorist movement. They don't
subscribe to the ultra-extremist form of religion that it
embraces, and they have turned away from it.
* * *
I think al Qaeda Iraq remains a very
significant element of the security situation in Iraq… It
has a regenerative capacity that has to be reckoned with.
But it is a threat that has been diminished over the past
six to eight months in particular…
It did certainly ignite horrific
ethno-sectarian violence and it gave a justification for
militia extremists on the Shia side to take action to
protect the population. As that threat to the population is
removed, you also find, therefore, less support for militia
extremists because they're also gangs, basically,
uneducated, violent emotional thugs with guns. The reduction
of that threat is very significant, but [it] is still there
and is something we can't take our eye off.
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