The "Foggy Bottom" Awakening

New boss turns the tables on Al Qaeda
Ex-Sunni insurgent becomes U.S. ally

"The once-dreaded Al Qaeda in Iraq stronghold of Amariyah has a new boss, and he's not shy about telling the story of the shootout that turned him into a local legend and helped change the tenor of the Iraq war."

"Since Abul Abed's fight in Amariyah, some of the most feared Baghdad neighborhoods, including Abu Ghraib, Fadhil, Ghazaliyah, Dora and Adhamiyah, have followed suit, forming their own brigades of Knights, welcoming the U.S. military and receiving U.S. money.Abul Abed is coy about his insurgent connections. He gave his real name as Saad Erebi Ghaffouri al-Obaidi, though he is known across Baghdad as Abul Abed. U.S. officials, Amariyah residents and Sunni leaders say he was a prominent commander in the Islamic Army. He described himself as a former Iraqi army major who "went into business" after the regime fell. He won't say what business.But he acknowledged that many of his men once fought Americans and now work closely with them."They recognize that they made a big mistake," he said. "They realize that they were on the wrong path and that they wasted many chances with what they did."

Broadsword: After three months or so of "Surge", the Anbar Awakening is spreading throughout Iraq. The Democrats' "Pelosi Escalation" surged into the House and Senate over a year ago. Why hasn't the Anbar Awakening come to Foggy Bottom? Will they ever realize that they were on the wrong path and that they made a big mistake, and wasted many chances with what they did?