Falluja Politics

The Iraqi nationalist resistance in Falluja is starting to turn on the terrorist elements associated with Abu Musab Zarqawi. One root of this is probably Iyad Allawi's attempts to lure the Fallujan leaders in with patronage. At the same time, the ideological differences here are undoubtedly real - they are the same as those who made is difficult to imagine an alliance between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. If this goes through, the U.S. might claim to have "defeated" the insurgency (in the world of spin), and would have a real success in that Falluja would no longer serve as a haven for terrorists. The Iraqi nationalist resistance, meanwhile, might be tempted to discuss the planned elections if it means the U.S. might begin withdrawing troops, as Rumsfeld has recently suggested. This is just one as-yet-unfulfilled potential for a positive development in Iraq, but we've been without good news for a long time now. Developing...