Iraq's insurgents ‘seek exit strategy'

FT reports Many of Iraq's predominantly Sunni Arab insurgents would lay down their arms and join the political process in exchange for guarantees of their safety and that of their co-religionists, according to a prominent Sunni politician.

Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein, who heads Iraq's main monarchist movement and is in contact with guerrilla leaders, said many insurgents including former officials of the ruling Ba'ath party, army officers, and Islamists have been searching for a way to end their campaign against US troops and Iraqi government forces since the January 30 election. “Firstly, they want to ensure their own security,” says Sharif Ali, who last week hosted a pan-Sunni conference attended by tribal sheikhs and other local leaders speaking on behalf of the insurgents. Insurgent leaders fear coming out into the open to talk for fear of being targeted by US military or Iraqi security forces' raids, he said.

Sharif Ali distinguishes many Sunni insurgents, whom he says took up arms in reaction to the invasive raids in search of Ba'athist leaders and other “humiliations” soon after the 2003 war, from the radical jihadist branch associated with Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Unlike Mr Zarqawi's followers, who are thought to be responsible for the big suicide bomb attacks on Iraqi civilian targets, the other Sunni insurgents are more likely to plant bombs and carry out ambushes against security forces and US troops active near their homes. Sharif Ali said the success of Iraq's elections dealt the insurgents a demoralising blow, prompting them to consider the need to enter the political process.

CQ blogs What they want is a similar deal that the Afghan government has offered to lower-level Taliban fighters with some significant success. In exchange for turning themselves in to Iraqi authority and surrendering their arms, they want a general amnesty and the ability to access the new democratic processes. If the Iraqis can confirm their seriousness, and the dramatic drop in terrorist activity seems to substantiate it, the Iraqis should go for it. It would allow the sectarian divisions to subside and further reduce antidemocratic forces to the margins of Iraqi society. It would also allow Iraqi and American security forces to focus on Zarqawi and his gang of thugs.

This development has been brought to you by George Bush's insistence on holding the elections on time. Not only did the Iraqis and the Americans succeed in securing the vote, but the Iraqis themselves delivered a spirited endorsement of democracy and freedom that has obviously shattered the will of the native insurgency. The transformative power of democracy shows once again its singular ability to marginalize and neutralize the impetus for terror.

Ace blogs Looks like the Democrats finally got their exit strategy. I hope they won't bitch too much over the fact it's the "exit strategy" Bush had in mind the whole time: We win, they lose.

Orrin Judd blogs The Left was ahead of the curve on it being time for an exit strategy, they were just wrong about which side was winning.

Smash blogs Zarqawi must be feeling very lonely these days...

Since the main ones being killed now are Iraqis defending their own country, I suspect the Ba'athists are getting worried their neighbors might start turning them in.