Al Qaeda In Iraq Ramps Up Its Racketeering
Is this a sign that Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is on the wane? Yes, according to both U.S. and Iraqi sources, who base at least some of their information on intel gleaned from captured insurgents. Sources in Iraq have told NEWSWEEK that AQI is hitting a cash crunch and is increasingly turning to crime to help finance its deadly operations. Part of the reason is al-Masri’s lackluster leadership. The Egyptian, they say, has not been able to rally his forces in the same way as the vicious Zarqawi, who was shown decapitating hostage Nicholas Berg in one of the war’s most gruesome videotapes....