You might have heard that in Diyala the citizens and local authorities have actually turned against al-Qaeda and are working with the coalition forces. Even if you have, it is difficult to comprehend what that means.

Michael Yon
Enter Michael Yon, a former Army member of the Special Forces Unit, who is a writer and blogger and who felt there was a disparity between what he heard on the news and what his friends in the military on the ground in Iraq were telling him. So he decided to find out for himself. He dropped his research project and headed for Iraq: “I wanted to see the truth, first hand, for myself.”

So Yon has been sending dispatches about what he is actually observing in Iraq. About the recent reports that the Iraqi citizens are now fighting along with the coalition force against al-Qaeda, Yon tells about his interview with Abu Ali, a member of the 1920s Revolution Brigades and says, “Just months ago our forces would have shot Abu Ali on sight, and he surely would have done the same to us. Today we are allies, for now.”

Citizens Against al-Qaeda
Yon’s interview with Abu Ali shows just how important it is that the Iraqis are making a distinction between al-Qaeda and the Sunni and Shia. Yon writes that in April of 2007, Abu Ali’s group went on the offensive against al-Qaeda in Buhriz “for [al-Qaeda’s] crimes against Islam.”

And Yon asserts that he had heard the same claims from both Sunni and Shia. Fighting against al-Qaeda, Ali’s group invited American troops to join them, and they now are working together against the terror group that according to true Muslims are not Muslims, but murderers and thieves.

Abu Ali went on to detail many atrocities that al-Qaeda has perpetrated on citizens, including the report that they regularly commit atrocities against children. Yon asked Ali if he had a message for Americans, and Ali said, “After the Iraqi Army and Police take hold and the security forces are ready, we want a schedule for the leaving of the American forces.”

That is exactly what Americans want.

Yon’s Web Site
Michael Yon’s web site is great source for information about Iraq. Yon is not sponsored by any government, news agency, or political party. He is supported solely by his readers, who donate money so Yon can buy equipment such as digital cameras. The hot climate is hard on digital equipment, so it has to be replaced often. Yon is offering a valuable service to help his fellow Americans get a better understanding of the Iraq mission.

Michael Yon: Online Magazine