Abu al-Muhajir sez “Thanks, Bush!”:

Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a new audiotape on Friday to have mobilized 12,000 fighters and said the group was winning faster than expected.  “The al-Qaida army has 12,000 fighters in Iraq, and they have vowed to die for God’s sake,” said Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, in an audiotape made available on militant Web sites. […]
He said Bush’s policies had allowed Iran to spread its influence in Afghanistan and Iraq after Washington toppled their Sunni rulers, and expanded Iran’s reach into Syria and Lebanon. […]

Challenging the Bush administration, he said: “I tell the lame duck do not rush to escape as did your defense minister …  stay on the battleground.” (emphasis mine)

Watch this get misinterpreted by the wingnuts as reason to stay rather than confirmation of the point that the realist crowd among the opposition was making years ago…