verte76 said:
I'm also nervous about possible stepped up opposition. A big shot is obviously gone but the insurgents are out there. There are still idiots who think car bombings will get them virgins in paradise or some damn thing. There are reports that Al Qaeda is stepping up their activities in Iraq. Al Qaeda and Saddam were not allies. Al Qaeda doesn't give a damn that he's captured. They'll keep on trying to screw up the whole situation. I'd love to be wrong about this. I am very tired of killings and madness. I hope this madness can be stopped ASAP.
yes rats when cornered tend to become even more violent. Some Baathists have nothing to lose, for if they are caught will be in a world hurt equal to the pain they inflicted on Iraqi citizens.
Expect even a tighter, coordinated effort with terrorists ("insurgents" seems to kind to me) in Iraq. On the other hand, many will give up and go home demoralized.
I am curious to see how other "dominoes" might fall. Will intel gathering become easier, leading to a wealth of info? Will the UN return? Will other countries be inclined to offer more assistance? Will the Vietnam analogies end?
As for Al Qaeda and Saddam, don't know if they were allies, but more and more info seems to point that they were communicating, if not cooperating thru the 90's. I am surprised that nobody has posted the Telegraph (byline Coughlin) article from yesterday.
"We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam's involvement with al-Qaeda," said [Dr Ayad Allawi, a member of Iraq's ruling seven-man Presidential Committee]. "But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far. It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with al-Qaeda, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks."
Let's just hope now that there isn't any severe retaliation from his supporters. 
