According to this article, Iraq has become a magnet for suicidal/homicidal jihadis. I don't know whether or not it's the case, at least in terms of it representing significant numbers, but if so, it's actually good news. Once the regime falls, they won't find the local environment as friendly as they did in Taliban Afghanistan, or southern Lebanon, or the West Bank. I suspect that there will be many inhabitants pleased to turn them in to the Americans.

It's actually a good thing, because we have an opportunity to gather up many, if not all, of this life-hating and freedom-hating scum into one place and dispose of them there, rather than have to hunt them all over the world.

[Update at noon]

Now the ABC (the one Down Under) says that thousands of jihadis have arrived in Mosul from Syria.

Good, that means we can wipe them out now, and won't have to fight them in Damascus later.

I'm beginning to think we are seeing Darwinian selection in action-- the most fanatical Baathist/Islamist/Palestians are putting themselves in the position of being forcibly removed from the meme pool, leaving behind those who are more likely to be open to reason or at least self-preservation.

This might also be a cynical ploy by Assad and friends to get rid of some of the people they used to support and promote (a la Hitler and the SA), who just might be getting a little restive. Instead of ordering the secret police to shove them into plastic chippers, just ship them off to where the Americans will take care of the problem.

In any case, I think this should be taken as a good sign that the status quo is definitely changing in a part of the world where it's going to take some real effort for things to end up worse than they were before.

Well, there's nothing like a good salt lick to concentrate the herd on opening day.

My initial thought when I heard these reports was, "..OK they want to be martyrs for Islam, we can support that! America is a nation that supports religious choice and freedom."