Political Scene: The Resurgence of Al Qaeda : The New Yorker

Political Scene: The Resurgence of Al Qaeda : The New Yorker:

 On this week’s Political Scene podcast, Dexter Filkins and Lawrence Wright join Dorothy Wickenden to discuss the troubling resurgence of Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria.

In 2004, Filkins covered the battle for the city of Fallujah, which routed extremist forces and marked an important milestone for the American effort in Iraq. “And this week, once again,” he says, “the black flag of Al Qaeda was raised over Fallujah. Which is pretty depressing, I think, to everyone involved.” He notes that tensions between groups within Iraq have been aggravated by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s strained relationship with the country’s Sunni minority. “Which one is more driving the violence?” Filkins asks. “Is it Syria, or is it Maliki himself?”