Al Qaeda and Iraq - will load - (Video - Quick Time or Windows Media)
A quote...."Who exactly is the enemy in Iraq and how does al Qaeda fit in? Bill Moyers talks with West Point Instructor, Brian Fishman, and Middle Eastern and International Affairs Professor Fawaz Gerges, discussing the growing power of al Qaeda and its connections to the war in Iraq.

The two gentlemen, West Point Instructor, Brian Fishman, and Middle Eastern and International Affairs Professor Fawaz Gerges, discussed several issues regarding Iraq

The sectarian conflicts.

How these conflicts might destabilize Lebanon.

The fact that the US is handing out some arms to Sunni’s in Iraq who are apposed to "al-Qaeda like" groups.

The US’s infliction of civilian casualties, although no figures were discussed. (Five hundred thousand to one million Iraqis killed, two million internally displaced, two million who have fled the country)

The fact that just a tiny fraction (3%-6%) of the Iraqi insurgency is composed of foreign Jihadists some of whom share al Qaeda's philosophy

The fact that those in Iraq who call themselves “al Qaeda” are not directly related to al Qaeda “central” and have a different command structure.  Essentially they’re an al-Qaeda “franchise”

The US’s “cultural” insensitivity toward the Iraqis

The fact that the US’s continual occupation of Iraq is leading to hatred throughout the Middle East for the US and is contributing to the ever widening and successful recruitment effort for like minded “al Qaeda” groups

The fact that more than 50% of the foreign Jihadists (3%-6% of the insurgency) in Iraq come from Saudi Arabia

The US’s massive prior support (ten billion dollars or more directly, much, much, more indirectly though our friends Saudi Arabia and Pakistan) for Jihadist groups throughout the Middle East during the last twenty years.

The US’s continual and ongoing support of government death squads in Iraq.  The SCIRI, the interior ministry, the “El Salvador option” “riding with the bad boys” etc.

That the US, as recently as three months ago, was encouraging Saudi Arabia to continue it’s support for Anti-western Wahhabist Jihadist including groups who share al-Qaeda’s philosophy

The US’s support for the MEK, PKK Baluchistan separatists, and other groups throughout the Middle East.

How all this support by the US throughout the Middle East for these groups is destabilizing the entire region and ENCOURAGING sectarian conflicts in countries such as Lebanon

How administration officials, including such notables as Condoleezza Rice publicly lauded and described such efforts to deliberately destabilize the Middle East. (“constructive instability”)

The DPG, PNAC and other prior documents, public statements and groups which describe IN DETAIL the US’s plans to cause all this instability.

How these plans have been in the works for the last twenty and have EXACTLY PREDICTED all the current ongoing actions by the US and the terrible strife now occurring in the Middle East

The horrendous crimes committed in these conflicts by US personal which include the deliberate targeting of civilians on almost every mission, B&E, vandalism, the humiliation and in some case teh rapes and murders of these civilians.

The hundreds of thousands of Iraqis imprisoned and the tens of thousands tortured by US service personal throughout America’s Gulag Archipelago including such places as Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bagram Air Force Base and many, many other locatioons throughout the world.

The deliberate and almost complete destruction of Iraq's infrastructure.  Hospital's, roads, sewage plants, schools, etc.

The diliberate and almost complete destruction of Iraq’s cultural artifacts.

The massive unemployment in Iraq, currently around sixty percent.

The fact that the US turned over people it had captured to many governments in the Middle East (Syria, Egypt, and others) for torture and death.  Not a practice that would normally inspire people of the Middle East to support US policies or these governments.

How these policies of torture and mayhem were deliberately encouraged by administration officials, one of whom actually watched and directed the tortures over a video link. (Donald Rumsfeld).

The current ongoing plans to attack Iran, Syria and many other countries

The Isreali occupation of Palistian and the horror it entails for the Palistinian people.

The US’s ongoing expansion of permanent bases in Iraq.

The utter betrayal of "democratic principals" by the US when it encouraged the people in Lebanon and Palistan to go out and vote, and when they voted for Hezbollah and Hamma the US had Isreal launch tehir long planned attacks against them - attacks which are ongoing to this day.

And most importantly of course….the oil.