Treasure trove

Link.

BAGHDAD — Iraq's national security adviser said Thursday a “huge treasure” of documents and computer records was seized after the raid on terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's hideout, giving the Iraqi government the upper hand in its fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.

National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie also said he believed the security situation in the country would improve enough to allow a large number of U.S.-led forces to leave Iraq by the end of this year, and a majority to depart by the end of next year. “And maybe the last soldier will leave Iraq by mid-2008,” he said.

Mr. al-Rubaie said a laptop, flashdrive and other documents were found in the debris after the air strike that killed the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader last week outside Baqouba, and more information has been uncovered in raids of other insurgent hideouts since then.

He called it a “huge treasure ... a huge amount of information.”

Although I'm skeptical that capturing a bunch of intelligence on al Qaeda in Iraq will break the back of the insurgency as a whole, getting Zarqawi was obviously a necessary first step towards that goal. Let's hope that this is as good of news as it is being portrayed.