Understanding these Iraq Awakenings

I need to give you some background on how these work. You need to realize that the starting point is pretty ugly. Al Qaeda takes over a community and establishes Sharia law. They immediately kill to prove they are in charge and convince the people to "toe the line". That is commonly the beheading of the local sheriff. Sharia law means a lot of things, but to give you an idea, if you smoke in public, they cut off your smoking fingers. There's a whole lot more to it, but that gives you an idea how it would be, living under Sharia law.

Well, that doesn't sit well with the Iraqi's in general Most of the population smokes. You combine that, and the other Sharia laws (no CD's, no TV, no Internet... etc.etc) and you get the picture of how life is when they come to town. Then, Al Qaeda detonates a bomb in the local market and kills innocent Iraqi's to get the Congress in the United States to vote to leave the fight. The community starts to simmer. Another beheading happens, or another smoker is arrested, or their daughter didn't go out in public properly covered, and Al Qaeda metes out their justice...

The tribal Sheiks understand that it is now up to them to save their tribes. They communicate to other tribes in the area and see if they are ready to act, too. Evil is defined and they come to the realization that when "Al Ameriki" was here, it was different. The Al Ameriki tribe came in, they chased off Al Qaeda and built schools. They cleaned the streets, they talked to the Sheiks to see what else the could do to help, and they brought calm. Then, they left because they needed to go to the next village, or back to their central base. Al Qaeda has returned, but the Sheiks understand how it could be. They decide to gather the different tribes and throw Al Qaeda out of their areas and protect their people. They also understand that they will have to be as serious about it as Al Qaeda is. They take up the sword...

That's how it starts. This is Awakening. Add to that the fact that, when they go this route, they understand that some of them will die. They don't know who, but they understand that Al Qaeda will do everything possible to derail it. The Anbar Salvation Council had to endure several suicide bombers killing many sheiks to get to where they are now. Al Qaeda has no other option to stop it other than to hope some of their young tribal recruits will take on a suicide mission and take out the tribal leaders.

Understand what it takes for these men to do this.

Understand also, what little men Al Qaeda's allies in our government actually are.

This war is not lost. As long as Iraq keeps awakening, then the Harry Reid's, Nancy Pelosi's, Jack Murtha's, and the other anti war surrender monkeys will just be background noise. The real story is in the Awakenings...

The surge has brought back Al Ameriki to a lot of these areas.