Failure of the Ramadan Offensive

The polls have now closed, and the new constitution is expected to be approved, a significant achievement in itself in moving toward a saner Iraqi politics based on consensus.

Bill Roggio, as usual, gets to the core of issues involving the war in Iraq. He reminds us that it is also a significant defeat for al Qaeda and Sunni terrorists.

The first and last paragraphs of Roggio’s post:

“The Iraqis have voted on the referendum. Turnout is reported to be high in many areas of Iraq. Saddam's own hometown in Tikrit is estimated to have had a 78% turnout. Dr. Fareed Ayar, a member of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, estimates over 11 million particpated in the ballot, almost 70% of the registered voters. The much touted "Ramadan Offensive", designed to disrupt the election process and bring the Iraqi people to their knees has failed….

“Either al Qaeda did not have the resources to conduct such attacks, could not penetrate the security of the Coalition, or did not have the will to attack Iraqis exercising their democratic rights. No matter what the reason, this is a victory for the Iraqi people and another strategic defeat for al Qaeda. When given a choice between the vision of the Islamists and the ideal of freedom, Iraqis brave the jihadi's threats of violence and reject al Qaeda's hateful ideology. Every time.”