Back when this violence occurred daily, I thought I understood al Qaeda’s strategy: dominate western newspapers with negative headlines and eject Coalition forces from Iraq by riding the wave of the resulting domestic outcry. Now, with the success of the surge, it just seems like AQI is clinging to the tactics of yesterday’s war–kind of like Polish horse cavalry charging into Nazi panzer formations.
A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a funeral tent in a predominantly Sunni village, killing at least 12 and wounding 17, in the third such bombing in Sunni areas in as many days. There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq, which has been trying to derail a movement that has seen Sunnis join forces with the U.S. against the terror network. The attacker detonated his explosives belt amid mourners in the Hajaj village on the outskirts of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown some 80 miles north of Baghdad, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
Blowing up a Sunni funeral? Please. That is so 2006. Mindlessly attacking Iraqi civilians is what helped bring about the Awakening movement in Anbar. That and one hell of a dedicated COIN strategy. And yet al Qaeda doesn’t seem to know any other play.
