That is something the wingnuts have been bolstering lately; “the insurgency is standing up to al Qaeda”. While it is true, they fail to mention the other part of that equation. The Guardian has published an article explaining this (and repeating what the left has been saying):
Seven of the most important Sunni-led insurgent organisations fighting the US occupation in Iraq have agreed to form a public political alliance with the aim of preparing for negotiations in advance of an American withdrawal, their leaders have told the Guardian.
In their first interview with the western media since the US-British invasion of 2003, leaders of three of the insurgent groups – responsible for thousands of attacks against US and Iraqi armed forces and police – said they would continue their armed resistance until all foreign troops were withdrawn from Iraq, and denounced al-Qaida for sectarian killings and suicide bombings against civilians.
Speaking in Damascus, the spokesmen for the three groups – the 1920 Revolution Brigades, Ansar al-Sunna and Iraqi Hamas – said they planned to hold a congress to launch a united front and appealed to Arab governments, other governments and the UN to help them establish a permanent political presence outside Iraq.
This is much like the immigration debate here. We don’t want illegal Mexicans in our country and Iraq don’t want armed forces from other nations in their country. The problem is the talking heads on TV. They fail to always mention the simple fact that the insurgents want ALL foreigners out of their country.
Something else that can never be repeated enough is how this works as a recruiting tool for al Qaeda also, or the al Qaeda ideology. We are the infidels and we have entered their land. They were warned once that happens that we would never leave. Thank George Bush for proving that point to them.