Is Al Qaeda Winning the War in the Middle East?

According to a CNN analyst, Al Qaeda controls more territory in the Middle East than ever before. They just retook the embattled city of Falluja and have consolidated power in sections of Syria. Al Qaeda has control over more territory than it did before the outbreak of the Iraq War in 2003. CNN reports:

In sum, al Qaeda affiliates now control much of northern and northwestern Syria as well as some parts of eastern Syria, as well as much of Anbar province, which is around a third of Iraqi territory.

I think we might need to reconsider our policies over there. It’s easy to call into question the justice and equity of drone warfare and pre-emptive strikes. Our mode of warfare in the Middle East has been far from irreproachable. But now, come to find out, our ethical compromises weren’t even working to stamp out Al Qaeda… That’s just too much. Idealists like myself endured no small amount of badgering about our adherence to the just war theory in the face of pressing national security concerns. We were scolded for being naïve. We needed to be more pragmatic, they said. Things needed to be done, and hands needed to get dirty to do them, they said.

Well, as it turns out, we got or hands dirty. But nothing good got done. Because not only are our policies ethically dubious, they are also pragmatically ineffective. So perhaps all those tin-hatted extremist isolationists weren’t that far off the mark when they were talking about blowback. Perhaps all our attempts to fight fire with fire just resulted in more fire. Imagine that. Perhaps the military industrial complex really was pushing for war for the sake of their own financial interest. Perhaps we’ve done nothing in the Middle East but stir up trouble, spend too much money, and accidentally kill a number of innocent civilians in the process of killing active combatants who would have been killed by someone else sooner or later—for free. This region is violent and slavishly hierarchical. It has been for millennia. We are not going to force it to be free.

May we go home now?

92 responses

  1. There is an easy solution… Nuke them all. Then we would not have to deal with all the difficulties from this area… ((JOKING)). People in this area of the world have been fighting for over 2,000 years. I believe it is the only way they are happy. Otherwise, one should find peace in some fashion, right?? I think pulling out military and economically would be best. Military will take time of course, but if we buy our oil somewhere else and put more efforts into an alternative solution, one not needing foreign dependence, would be a good start. Then the middle east will slowly become poor again (like ghost town of the old west), and they will not have the money to buy weapons or as many weapons to keep escalating their battles.

  2. To answer the question—-YES——-And the US isn’t far behind, How many Al Quaida are already in influential positions in our country, and how many “training camps”

    • 8 Al Quaida and two training camps. Really nice camps; big lake, natural hot springs, forest to go hiking, warm sunny weather all year round. But their beliefs do not let them wear bathing suits and that makes them mad. So they throw hand grenades in the water to kill the fish, also at the wild life and trees. In general they blow up any peaceful and serene setting. It helps build up the anger level so they can do crazy things.

        • Dagwood, I’m laughing yes. But its because of how amazing stupid people are. Where I grew up in a wealth area, there was a large cult compound. People of the area just though they were religious freaks or something. As it turns out they had ties to many different location in the USA and ran all kinds of military training and survival type programs. Very scary stuff when it all came out. However, does not mean you have to lose your sense of humor. Matter of fact it is important that you keep it, otherwise the “bad guys” win.

        • Maybe I should get mine unrusted….been too many decades since I used it on a regular basis. But why Farsi? Why not arabic?

          • There’s a lot of non-specific info on the net unfortunately.
            Thanks Abiathar.
            I’ve heard there is a site near Broken Bow, OK but have no means of confirming it. Good, solid site identifications would make it easier for vets (and others looking for a hobby) to keep a close…..and obvious/overt….eye on everything they do. That sort of reconnaissance, short of actual harassment would keep them upset, no end. Get out the binoculars, cameras and recorders/notebooks.
            We used to deliberately tailgate the Russian vehicles in West Germany.

          • Yes, PWe72, I remember the reporting requirements on the SMLM vehicles; they did the same to the USMLM vehicles in East Germany.

          • Follow-up:
            Good article in todays PatriotUpdate newsletter re: No-Go zones that cites training camps.
            Also scary article on forcible drug programs for children….especially scary, if substantiated, is attached comment about current activity in NC toward mental disorder declarations and resulting incarceration.

          • HA! Shoot them. kill the Moslem and drive them out. There is no place for those savages in a civilized setting.

  3. I must say-it doesnt take a military academy genius to figure out that when you tell your enemy exactly what you are going to do and then do it, such as these clowns in office did, what kind of enemy would not just wait until those things happened and then react??? Even these archaic sand eaters are smarter than that! The USA or better yet, the naive libs told al queda when they were leaving and then left at that time. How utterly STUPID can you get?? al queda is probably laughing their arses off at how dumb the USA is!

      • Probably…Like with S.Korea we just added another 100,000 troops…Are we expecting another police action beyond the 38th Parallel!

      • You are a real special person! Remember WWII?? You must have, it was in all the history books and newspapers. (at least until the libs attempt to rewrite it to blot out their transgressions) Last time I looked, the USA had troops in Korea, Germany, Italy, Japan, Philippines and there are no issues there. Wake up. .

        • We haven’t won a war since WWII…..It’s all about Economics not freedoms…..you pawns are still brainwashed by your Kissinger masters

          • That’s actually not true. There have been victories.

            As to the Kissinger master thing. I could never understand what he was saying, that accent!

        • maybe he has never been in a war to share his thoughts,the Desert Storm was not left unattended–Obama has let every Tom,Dick and Harry enter into the US,just like Clinton did,so! what can we expect here on our soil or on other soil he has made it very clear to other countries we are no long the home of the brave and the land of the free.we have become weak to other Nations and them being over here they all know it.Keith,unless you have been in war don’t take it to heart and when you do then you can take it all to heart

      • Why is staying there “forever” the only option?

        Dear Leader, like progressive democrats before him has snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory.

        Fight the war as it should be – and you’d be surprised what happens, i.e. look at the successes Americans have wrought.

        • We haven’t won a war since WWII…..It’s all about Economics not freedoms…..you pawns are still brainwashed by your Kissinger masters…

    • Obama Bin Lyin’ wouldn’t be in OUR White House if not for corruption and fraud that placed him there.

      • There is a lot of fraud these days but I’m shocked at how many women consider themselves to be liberals. It’s frightening.

    • They tried to build a Muslim church in the shadow of the trade centers, with no respect for those who died in the 9-1; and Obama did nothing. I have heard of foreign groups in this country and I’m sure Obama won’t profile them; No he prefers to profile those who point fingers at him.

  4. Of course Al Qaeda is winning the war in the Middle East.Ever since Obama took over for Osama bin Laden they have been growing stronger. They never could have achieved this without Obama’s help.
    Obama’s “failure” as US president is far overshadowed by his accomplishments as Al Qaeda’s silent leader and benefactor.
    Obama is called a decisive president by Gates in his book Duty.
    Look at the history since Obama has been in office. The only times that Obama appears to be indecisive is when it involves going up against Muslims like in Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria, etc.
    Is that coincidence or a pattern that unveils Obama’s real targets?

  5. Seems our aggressive actions have created more hate & jihadists. Obumma is, I’m not sure, dumb or very sinister.

  6. Yes, thanks to Obama Al Qaeda is slowly winning the war. We need a President that cares about the future of this great country.

  7. Impossible! Our Dear Leader has assured us that Al Qaeda is decimated, no longer a threat. I am being sarcastic of course. What has happened in Iraq is going to happen in Afghanistan when we pull out of that cesspool.

  8. No one will ever win the war in the Middle East. Is not really a war so much as a culture and that’s where United States messes up. We cannot grasp the fact that the people involved in the so-called war are born into a culture of conflict. These animals have been killing and torturing each other for centuries. They have absolutely no concept of peace.

    The only way that there will ever be any type of peace in the Middle East will be one one group and only one group have systematically exterminated all the others. And even man you only be a temporary peace until the next generation is old enough to pick up a gun.

    Other than Israel there’s not a single individual in the Middle East that is worth one drop of American blood. The only reason were there at all this political very much the way it was in Vietnam. We went in with good intentions in a moral directive and then the politicians got involved. They call the president the commander-in-chief I personally believe that when this individual whoever he might be goes to war he should be on the front line with his troops not hiding behind some desk.

    Afghanistan is a classic political boondoggle! Every nation that several went into that country has had their heads handed to them on a platter. This is one of the reasons for teaching history so that you don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. The British when in and had to leave, even as far back as the Roman Empire they can stay there, Alexander he didn’t even make it that far this is all ancient history. Afghanistan is called the graveyard of empires for reason. The USSR when and Afghanistan they were in there fighting for over 10 years before they finally that smart and called out but it was too late. USSR no longer exists that Empire could not recover from their experience in Afghanistan.

    So What Is This Crazy Diaper Head in the White House do? He publicly state that this is the right war, this is my war and were going to fight this war. We been fighting this war in Afghanistan longer than any other war in our history and reality of accomplished absolutely nothing except cost Americans their lives. If this “obamacare” of a president wants to fight in Afghanistan that he should be on the front lines packing 100 pounds up and down those mountainsides after all he said it’s his war let him fight it.

    • You are so on point with this. I preached against these wars from the start…they were unwinnable and I think our military officers knew this. Problem with so many military officers (and I worked closely with them) is they really want wars…it gets their blood circulating. They are like kids with new toys…so much excitement and their eyes will just twinkle. Having lived in Iran, I am also opposed to invading that country. UNLESS, they go after one of our allies, I vote to leave them alone. The Iran-Iraq war for most of the ’80s where they used boys as young as 12 for cannon fodder really hurt their population.

  9. Sure they are,,,, even though our fearless DickTater the GA*Ymuzlim has declared them defeated last year so he could take even MORE FALSE CREDIT to honor HIMSELF ! ! ! !

  10. “force it to be free” what does that mean?? that for them to be free they should be enslaved to a different definition of enslavement??? is that not what barry and the district of communists are doing in America??? force the people to be free of the constitution?? and to be enslaved to them?? too bad there are no americans left in America, the district of communists would have been abolished years ago along with the freedom from the constitution of the USA. so sad, so sad,

  11. The Towel Head monarchy as can be that lives in the White House that should painted black. Narcisstic A-HOLE !

  12. What would any logical person expect? You either end wars or lose them – there is no middle ground. We lose because no one had the guts to stand up against the idiots in the WH. We have lost every war since WWII. Why? Because we did not complete the MISSION. This is criminal – waste the lives of our youth on a battlefield with no intention of winning. This one is worst – we have a President surrounded by cronies, none of whom give a damn about our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen. As Hillary says – “After all, what difference does it make.”

    • ww2 was lost as well. none of the enemy paid reperation, in fact it was usa that paid for rebuild. and the flow of naziism/socialism never stopped in fact there is enough current evidence of this in the district of communists. in fact if the traditional definition of war is used I am not sure if the civil war, and revolutionary war had any winnings of victory.

      • Having been directly involved in both Europe and the Pacific during WWII, I suggest that you should read a bit more history. WWI actions by the Allioes agbainst Germany sowed the seeds of WWII. After WWII’s complete victory,we gave the Germans and the Japs m,oney to rebuild. Now they are both thriving democracies, and are friendly to the US. Now we have the problem of socialism and communism within our own borders. along with militant Islamic terrorists – this is the war we are losing.
        Socialism, communism, militant Islam, and other brands of radical ideas will always be with us. History proves that history repeats itself because politicians do not heed the lessons of history.

        • the origin of point was traditional war. the Marshal plan is not traditional war. traditional war would be the loser paying the victor reperations.
          and if Germany and Japan allies, why is the barry and NSA spying on them?

          • The Marshall plan had nothing to do with war, it had to do with trying to insure peace by turning the Axis countries into democracies – it succeeded. Obama is spying on everyone – he doesn’t trust anyone. However, he may not even be involved – he is lazy, disengaged, and is a perfect example of MEDIOCRITY.

  13. When you have nothing and no one to fear, and you are a Radical Muslim in a Muslim controlled region, it would seem that victory is assured! I’m not so sure! Eventually their eyes will turn toward Israel and they will think that because the United States is a paper tiger that they can now annihilate the Jews once and for all! Won’t they be surprised when Israel cleans their clocks and a “massive earthquake destroys their armies on the mountains North of Israel” [Ezekiel 38-39]. The stupidity and inanity of the Obama administration’s “foreign policy” concerning the Middle East plays right into God’s plan! That sets the stage for the next part of the plan with the emergence of the Antichrist out of the chaos and the false peace treaty with Israel which leads to the Tribulation period! It’s all in the Book!

  14. The USA is suffering from a plague of Stupidity. We elect traitors to the Constitution by placing Communist Progressives in Office and elect a Muslim President who despises Christians and Americans. No wonder we are losing our Country and who we are. We must elect Patriots who love the USA and who will adhere to the Constitution and the Oaths they take to obey and uphold it. What we have now is garbage in Washington directing the rest of the garbage hiding within the Democratic Party.

  15. You don’t seem to understand. War is all these people know. They are uneducated and war is the only thing that gives them a sense of purpose. They will not change and do not want to. Leave them alone and drill our own oil.

  16. ” Is Al Qaeda winning the war in the Middle East ”
    Between Obama arming them and the Muslim Brotherhood financing them… I’d say that’s a big 10-4 .
    Just my 2 cents worth.

  17. Wherever the US meddles, wastes $ billions, winds up with Thousands KIA
    then as predicted the bad asses bide their time and return!
    Could have saved all these US lives, developed our own Oil and be energy independent by now!

  18. When you have a weak ass government in the US and a sorry ass president in the US that means one thing. they will next take over the US. WAKE UP AMERICA

  19. Doe’s Egypt ring a bell, Obama and Hillary(what difference does it make?) Clinton put a ringer (president) in with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and al-qaeda, plus 1.4 billion dollars (that’s billion with a b) weapons, tanks and airplanes. Did I mention all for free? Obama has had the Brotherhood to the White House and put Muslims in key positions of the government. Of course Hillary (what difference does it make?) Clinton has a Muslim assistant, with ties to al-qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. Thank God the Egyptian people saw right through this and rebelled. We already see what’s happening in Iraq, that same thing (which has already started) will take place in Afghanistan, the minute we leave there. The Taliban is already in full court press in taking over and making more opium available, than ever before. Pakistan has already received billions and we are all aware how much they think and support us.

    • You forgot about the muslim in charge–Vallery Jarret. And our troops are protecting the opium fields.

  20. How could al qaeda not win with obama giving them arms and money? obama does not see them as terrorists. He thinks they are “freedom and justice” fighters. That tells me that obama is one of them. The enemy is in the White House. Can we take him out?

  21. My son spent a year in combat in Iraq. They all knew that once we pulled our troops out, Al Qaeda would be back and more than likely stronger than before. Looks like they were right.

  22. Of course Al-Qaeda is winning in the Middle-East. They are backed by Obama, with the help of Clinton and now Kerry and our Muslim CIA director converted Muslim, John Brenan. Giving money, guns and training to Al-Qaeda. Our President adding the enemy of the World. And no one is stopping Obama and his Gang.

  23. why doesn’t the news media and journalists stop referring to Al Qaeda “affiliates”, and mention the Muslim Brotherhood, Obama’s buddies– the Islamist Jihadists most involved in the “terrorist” attacks in the Middle East, Africa, etc. And don’t forget Benghazi attack. Why else would there be a coverup for that attack, killing four Americans. Obama didn’t order boots on the ground in Benghazi as he didn’t want to harm his buddies. Perhaps Obama is pulling US troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan to give more assistance to his buddies to control those areas. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood leaders had no intention of forming a Democracy, and I’m personally sure that Obama supported them. Wake up patriotice Americans!!

  24. When the Whitehouse was about to bomb Syria I wrote to them to point out that there is no declairation of war against Syria, but there is one against El Qaeda. I sugjested that he should bomb them.

  25. So what? I couldn’t care less. If they try shit outside the middle east on U.S. or any of our allies, just bomb shit out of them in their homes in the middle east and kill them ’till they shut the fuck up. That’s all.

  26. The terrorists won the war the second the stupid SOB Obummer won the election because he is one of them and has done nothing but tear our military down since he took office. The lying SOB has gone as far as joining the other side by giving them aid and weapons, he is the perfect TRAITOR sitting at the head of our failing government. He made a statement before he was elected that sticks out in my mind when he said “When it comes down to it I will stand by the muslims!” and he has kept that promise. You can color the SOB any color you want, black or white but first you color him a TRAITOR and he should be brought up on charges for TREASON and he doesn’t even try to hide the fact. He has passed executive orders out his arse to protect him without once asking Congress, this slug is a dictator and we’ve sat back and let the slug do it. People can march on Washington and demand he resign until they are blue in the face and he will be protected by the NSA, FBI, CIA and his hand picked military leaders, he then will declare martial law and start confiscating our weapons and our freedom, right out of the books of every dictator that has come along and the simpleminded SOB has to be stopped one way or another. I will disobey every order the SOB lets fly from his mouth and so should you and you’re families. The time has come to take back our country before it is too late.

  27. While I agree with your article in general, my readings indicate that AQI holds a small piece of Al Anbar, and they are facing fierce resistance from the Sunni tribesmen and Iraqi Army forces. At most, AQI held about half of Fallujah and Ar Ramadi, which altho’ a small area holds most of the population of Al Anbar province.

    The problem here is leaving based on a static timetable and not based on victory conditions. We should have ensured the enemy was defeated rather than meet a randomly set timetable that forced us (our government forced us, no one else) to leave. As an Iraq War vet who trained others to go over after I returned, it just kills me to see this happen. That said, the Iraqi Army is, as they have been for years, in the fight. I’ve been trying to find out how well they are doing but have been unsuccessful since the media (1) no longer cares what’s happening there and (2) seldom tells the truth about Iraq.

  28. the “Arab Spring” is now bearing the fruits of it’s endeavors, Thank you President Obama and your Muslim Brotherhood allies.

  29. yes al-qaeda is controlling the middle east and we are funding the whole thing. don’t think so? remember John mcCain went to Syria to talk to the FSA “rebels” we send them money and arms, and Karzai released a bunch of prisoners today.
    karzai has also said he will “negotiate” terms in which we will rebuild the country and pay huge amounts of “jizya” “tribute tax” to them forever.

    • ONE MORE TIME>> WAITING FOR YA`LL`S REPLY>> THANX!!!

      THE WHOLE WORLD IS B I T CH SLAPPING THAT COMMIE, MARXIST, SOCIALIST INCOMPETENT N I G G A OCCUPYING THE WHITE/MOSQUE FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE WHITE/HOUSE.> HE HAS DESTROY THE UNITED STATES>>> PERIOD

  30. Of course they’re winning, they have the backing of the the most powerful country in the world…POTUS, SofS, money and arms.

  31. The Muslims in the ME love Al Quida. They are Muslims too, why would they like us more? We are infidels from far off lands. We never should have been there in the first place we should have just told them to hand over Bin Laden and all his disciples in 24 Hours or learn how to walk on glass, instead of sand. When you have the big stick, you threaten to use the big stick, then you use it.

  32. I fear in the name of “progressivity”, our vision of us and the world has become so clouded that we can no longer even to agree to take care of ourselves or – as the scandel in Libya proves, protect American lives. We are wasting incredable capital forcibly redistributing wealth from what Obama described as the “wealthy white” nations to the poor African and Asian nations (the “dream” of his daddy – the West giving its money to the poor in Africa. Unfortunately, what Obama didn’t learn in his travels – like all other people who do travel – which is why I think his book is basically a made up fairytale – is that peole who take mnoney from others, especially thugs in political power, become overcome with greed for power.

  33. Well when the CIA needs you ……. Your the best tool in the box… Everything from unlimited weaponry , funds, food and scape goats…. Life is grand……..Until you are no longer needed…… The CIA are sickfuckingbastards……

  34. TRAITORS voted for this sorry SOB and he was elected and I hope and pray he takes everything you own and love, most of his votes came from dead people and the people that knew he would give them more handouts, you know the ones that have lived on welfare for three generations and will never go to work. It must be tough on obummer to be a halfbreed, half white and half black and both halves hate each other. I’m one that hates both halves of the slug and can’t wait for him to just die.

  35. Yeah, sure they are winning as long as this communist muslim jackass is going to keep supporting them with our money to try and get them back in control of the middle east again through terror. Lets not forget, this communist muslim pigmy has already said that we cannot win against these people so he gave up trying, sure why not he is supporting them with our money.
    Sorry, but in my book that is an impeachable offense and he should have been tried for crimes against this country and the people, and dereliction of his duty to protect the American people.

  36. Hello everybody!!!!! This has been going on for decades…… The CIA and the business jackles want oil and control….. Oil companies and pharmaceutical companies are just subsidiaries of the central/ fed reserve bank…… These countries used to have their own currencies…. Used to have their own way of life…. Since the early 1900’s the English, Sweeds, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Americans have been “wheeling….. Dealing….. Steeling ” I know if we were being bombed everyday by some other country, we’d f-em up….. This is a case of man repeats himself over and over….. No money is lost for defense contractors …..GE…. No money is lost to any of these war mongers who have stock in said oil/ bank/ pharma… What is lost is you….. Dead women, children, and men….. They don’t give a sh*t what your background …. White , black, yellow…. They don’t give a sh*t what religion you practice either…war is about what weaponry works well and what antidote dosen’t…… Either way they make money…… MONEY

  37. THE WHOLE WORLD IS B I T CH SLAPPING THAT COMMIE, MARXIST, SOCIALIST INCOMPETENT N I G G A OCCUPYING THE WHITE/MOSQUE FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE WHITE/HOUSE.> HE HAS DESTROY THE UNITED STATES>>> PERIOD

  38. To all our VETS….While our military plays WAR and you make excuses for WAR….we lose our freedoms at home with the NSA and all of our GOVT….thx…

    “When the cat’s away, the mice will play!”

  39. 9/112012 is the day Barack Hussein Obama executed his pact with the Muslim!!
    That is the day the US ambassador was sacrificed!

    For all his chants of Bin Laden DEAD Al Qaeda decimated for all practical purposes him and his little clowns making such boasting is an amazing game they have played upon the people of the world!!

  40. Hey, the Kenyan Biggie Rat O Bastard is a Radical Muslim Terrorist while weakening America’s military ships munitions and supplies to the Muslim Brotherhood. Has representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood in the White House. Only a FOOL believes Obama is American citizen.

    Obama’s eventual home in the Black Hole. Utter Darkness reserved for EVIL individuals.

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