Iraq update September 29. 2007

First off I'll start with Uncle Jimbo over at Black Five as he is commenting on the release this week of a transcript of a private conversation President Bush had with former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Aznar in 2003. The left is trying to use this transcript to paint the picture that the President was hell bent on war, but the real meat of it actually shows the opposite. There was an interesting piece in there also regarding the WMD's. So, go check out Uncle Jimbo's post Saddam asked to take WMD info into exile

• Bush lied about WMDs so we could invade Iraq and steal their oil, that is pretty much gospel here in the Mad City. The problem I always had with it was if we were lying then why didn't we plant some to be found? I realize they think W is a fool, but if you are gonna cheat the system, then plant a few chem or bio weapons and voila. Now we have a leak of a Spanish transcript from W's meeting with Aznar, which has been used to imply that W was hellbent on war no matter what. Well Jose Guardia does a full translation and it actually shows just how hard we were working to avoid war, while maintaining the realistic view that Saddam was not likely to comply. He also notes this important tidbit.

In reference to the battle with Al Qaeda from MNF-I is Al Qaeda in Iraq losing thanks to concerned local citizens

• BAGHDAD — Iraqi citizens are helping Coalition forces hunt down al Qaeda terrorists in a vast rural area south of Baghdad, a military commander said today

Also from MNF-I is this report of a high level AQ operative taken out called Coalition Forces kill likely successor to Abu Ayyub al-Masri

• BAGHDAD — Coalition forces positively identified a foreign terrorist killed in an operation Tuesday in Musayyib as a senior al-Qaeda in Iraq member.

  Abu Usama al-Tunisi was in the inner leadership circle of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and was a likely successor to him.

From Pat Dollard we have Al Qaeda Launches 15 Ship Navy

• Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network has purchased at least 15 ships in the last two years – creating, perhaps, the first terrorist naval force, reports Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

And, from The Thunder Run is Attack “will not weaken good people”

• Ra’ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi the Diyala Governor made a statement on Wednesday about the recent bombing of the Sunni and Shiite leader in Baqouba earlier this week saying that the attack, "would not weaken good people or keep them from doing their jobs."