Elijah J. Magnier

Zarqawi would hv occupied the "minds & the hearts" of many #Iraqis & regional Sunni & Shia. So a special thank2 his mistake,even if bloody.+

The 2d special thank go2 #ISIS Baghdadi 4 more than 1 mistake: 1. He has rejected Zawaheri directive 2stay in Iraq & allow #JN in #Syria +

#JN was winning hearts and minds in #Syria, managed to infiltrate the Syrian society like water and registered victories against regime +

#ISIS Baghdadi didn't like to loose his officer (Joulani) becoming a General in #Syria and wanted power and control back. +

So #ISIS walked in, rejected Zawaheri arbitration, killed more Mujahideen (not only in #Syria) more than any "war on terror" against #AQ +

Had #ISIS Baghdadi accepted Zawaheri's verdict, #Syria would have been in Joulani & Baghdadi's hand and would have expanded beyond borders +

The irony is Jabhat al-Nusra name came from the same #ISIS Baghdadi when he sent Joulani #JN 2 #Syria. #JN is still holding on to the name.+

@EjmAlrai Without a civil war to push Sunnis to AQI, many would have chose American $ over AQI's vision of a long terrible war

I have a different experience in Iraq. Many Shia groups were picking up more attacks against USA. @mulcairejack

Sunni leaders were talking to Hezbollah (and more I can't share) who felt embarrassed by the Iraqi Shia support to USA. @mulcairejack

@EjmAlrai @mulcairejack I've always felt Zarqawi's deliberate incitement of sectarian war was a turning point not emphasized enough.

@AkritasDavid @EjmAlrai @mulcairejack The Anbar Awakening rolled back his gains as well. If Maliki hadn't been a sectarian fool...

@ethaniacobozzi @EjmAlrai @mulcairejack Not saying nothing he did mattered, but I see that as more of the same than a turning point.

@AkritasDavid @EjmAlrai @mulcairejack Simply running an insurgency without sectarianism would have led to American money winning.