In a new video, part of which was played on al Jazeera, Ayman al-Zawahiri touts America's troop withdrawal from Iraq as proof of our defeat there:

I congratulate (the Islamic nation) for the victory of Islam in Iraq.***You remember I told you more than a year ago that the American withdrawal from Iraq is only a matter of time, and here they are now ... negotiating with the mujahedeen.

Bush was forced at the end of last year to announce that he will pull out his forces from Iraq, but he was giving excuses for his withdrawal that the Iraqi forces have reached a good level.***Regarding your withdrawal timetable ... you have to admit, Bush, that you have been defeated in Iraq and are being defeated in Afghanistan and will be defeated in Palestine.

It's been obvious for some time that troop levels would soon be reduced; the question has been whether the withdrawal would be consequent upon success, as the Bush administration insists, or upon defeat, as most Democrats say. Zawahiri's latest propaganda effort is consistent with the views of Jack Murtha, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry and other antiwar Democrats.

Posted by John at 12:44 PM  |    |