By all accounts, it seems that the United States Armed forces have not helped, by forcing them to slash inventory and to consider cost cutting measures, including potential layoffs.
However down, the AlQDah group has been known for it's innovation and ability to surprise Wall Street. Even Gen. David Petraeus warned that the group is still the greatest threat facing Iraq today.
An announcement by the CEO Osama Bin Laden yesterday urged his employees and the people of Iraq to reject the US aim of a national unity government:
"Our duty is to foil these dangerous schemes, which try to prevent the establishment of an Islamic state in Iraq," he said at the internet Town Meeting.
Bin Ladin also warned Sunnis in Iraq not to join the US-allied tribal councils fighting his organization.
Gen Petraeus
Iraqi interior ministry spokesman Maj Gen Abdul Kareem Khalaf said the disruption of the AlQDuh network was due to the weeding out of security force personnel with ties to militias. Coupled with a bad marketing scheme and few new product innovations have created a bad climate for AlQDuh.
He said: "[Their] activity is now limited to certain places north of Baghdad. We're working on pursuing those groups, that is the coming fight." His claim that 75% of the group's hideouts in Iraq had been eliminated could not be independently verified. He also said assassination attempts were down 79% since June.
Wall Street analysis marks the decline with the fall in violence over the year coincides with the surge in US troop numbers authorized by President George W Bush.
One such analysis comes from the BBC's Jo Floto in Baghdad, who says there are a number of other factors behind the security gains, such as a six-month ceasefire announced in August by the Mehdi Army militia of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.
But perhaps most crucial, has been the emergence of Sunni militias who once fought the Americans and the Iraqi government but are now fighting AlQDuh.
In his year-end review for media, Gen Petraeus said US figures showed the number of overall attacks had fallen by 60% since June.
But his figures also showed a slight rise in suicide car and vest bombs since October, highlighting the fragility of security.
He said tougher action by a number of Arab nations had helped reduce the inflow of foreign funds and fighters into Iraq.
'Less Iranian weapons, fewer deliverables'
Concerted action by the authorities in Damascus had halved the flow of insurgents through neighboring Syria, he said.
According to Gen Petraeus, attacks using Iranian-supplied deliverables had also fallen in recent months.
But he nevertheless called on Iran to respect a pledge to "stop the training, funding and arming of the so-called special groups".
Analysts said this was a reference to Shia militias that have splintered away from other vendors such as the Mehdi Army.
Gen Petraeus said intelligence indicated that funding from abroad for AlQDuh had fallen. Perhaps that the weak dollar hasn't helped in their Q4 showing.
"Some of what we are told is that they are really struggling to buy gas for the vehicles, you're seeing a much more survival level of conversation [among AlQDuh in Iraq operatives]."
Future
With their operation in Iraq faltering, many insiders feel that the AlQDuh in Iraq venture might be spun off or even sold as a last minute cost saving tactic. Many see the organization's new focus on Pakistan - and the attempts to destabilize it's government there - as another factor of the weakness of the terrorist maker's ability to perform in Iraq.
Perhaps they are redoubling their efforts in Pakistan because they aren't doing well in Iraq. Besides, Pakistan is a nuclear state, and focusing more on long term goals may pay off for them in the long run.
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