Al-Zarqawi slaughtered

[Temagami Scourge]

I don't really think so. I think there are still many insurgents left who seem to have been operating very well without the direct guidance of al-Zarqawi.

On the other hand, Coalition forces were able to make an facial ident on his body, so I can understand if Coalition forces celebrate by parading his misbegotten, terrorist head on a pole.

It would be a kind of poetic justice for Nick Berg, Ken bigley et al.

But the insurgency will continue.....

[Liam]

I think this is a great development and many kudos need to go out to all the servicemen and women who accomplished this objective. But we should not get too far ahead of ourselves here. Intelligence reports in the past month or so indicated that Zarqawi was less important to the overall troubles in Iraq than he had been in the past. The "PR" video that was released of him looking weel-fed and rested and (mis)firing his gun could have been a reminder to others that he was still around, or it could also be explained as an attempt by the new powers-that-be within the terror groups that Zarqawi was a fat loser who couldn't even fire a gun. (Perhaps his being pushed aside in the power structure finally made him more visible to us?)

Either way, I don't think we should get too excited about this. It is a good "get", absolutely, but it probably won't decrease the overall violence in Iraq and just means that there might be more violence and bloodshed as different factions consolidate power and fill whatever void Zarqawi left behind.

[Johnny Utah]

Great News, the Fat little Jihadist is Dead! This will not stop all the attacks of Terrorism against the Iraqi people right away, but this does make a difference..

[Rue]

I think this is a great development and many kudos need to go out to all the servicemen and women who accomplished this objective. But we should not get too far ahead of ourselves here. Intelligence reports in the past month or so indicated that Zarqawi was less important to the overall troubles in Iraq than he had been in the past. The "PR" video that was released of him looking weel-fed and rested and (mis)firing his gun could have been a reminder to others that he was still around, or it could also be explained as an attempt by the new powers-that-be within the terror groups that Zarqawi was a fat loser who couldn't even fire a gun. (Perhaps his being pushed aside in the power structure finally made him more visible to us?)

Either way, I don't think we should get too excited about this. It is a good "get", absolutely, but it probably won't decrease the overall violence in Iraq and just means that there might be more violence and bloodshed as different factions consolidate power and fill whatever void Zarqawi left behind.

Bang on. Its like removing one large weed from the garden. Plenty more to remove and plenty more will grow back. It will have a psychological effect and probably a short term effect for operations by terrorists but it will be short lived. As well for anyone who studies terrorist cells, they will know they operate just like viruses in computers or cancer cells in a human body. Cutting off the head buys you time, but doesn't solve the problem unless you dig out the root of it all which I am afraid is impossible.

[Temagami Scourge]

CNN has a great "headshot" of al-Zarqawi in death CNN

Feel free to copy it, blow it up, and piss on it.

[Johnny Utah]

This is a major blow to Al Qaeda and the Insurgency in Iraq, of course it doesn't mean it will end all the violence and Terrorist attacks against Coalition Forces and the Iraqi people as there's still a long hard road ahead but it throws a major wrench in the gears of the Insurgency. Bravo to the United States Military..

[Black Dog]

I'm not sure this is gonna make a lick of difference. Zarqawi's group is a small part of the tiny minority of insurgents who come from outside Iraq. The insurghency itself is large and made up of dozens of factions. The fact is, his death will have little impact on the activities of the various sectarian groups that are carying out he bulk of the violence in Iraq. IOW: what Liam said.

[BubberMiley]

Right on. His dead mugshot looks too peaceful though. I'd rather he looked horrified.

But wait, I'm from "The Left." I'm supposed to be upset about this.

[Johnny Utah]

I'm not sure this is gonna make a lick of difference. Zarqawi's group is a small part of the tiny minority of insurgents who come from outside Iraq. The insurghency itself is large and made up of dozens of factions. The fact is, his death will have little impact on the activities of the various sectarian groups that are carying out he bulk of the violence in Iraq. IOW: what Liam said.

Time will only tell what the outcome of this will be. Al Qaeda suffered a major blow so did part of the Insurgency that was backing Zarqawi. There is still a long hard road ahead but Iraq and the World are better off with this Rat Dead!

[Black Dog]

Time will only tell what the outcome of this will be. Al Qaeda suffered a major blow so did part of the Insurgency that was backing Zarqawi. There is still a long hard road ahead but Iraq and the World are better off with this Rat Dead.

I've never bought into the mythology arond Zarqawi as the Big Bad Guy. Now, even if he's a fraction of what they say he was, the wolrd is better off without him. But we've heard this song and dance before, so I'll pass on the chest beating. TYhe problems in Iraq go well beyond one man.

[theloniusfleabag]

Indeed, I will echo Black Dog's thoughts.

Now, even if he's a fraction of what they say he was, the wolrd is better off without him. But we've heard this song and dance before, so I'll pass on the chest beating. TYhe problems in Iraq go well beyond one man.

I read something this morning about it, something like "The US has been after him for 2 full weeks now...". I thought that odd...

[Riverwind]

I've never bought into the mythology arond Zarqawi as the Big Bad Guy. Now, even if he's a fraction of what they say he was, the wolrd is better off without him. But we've heard this song and dance before, so I'll pass on the chest beating. TYhe problems in Iraq go well beyond one man.

A few weeks back the US military released some home video footage that revealed Zarqawi as a buffoon who did not even know how to use a gun.

[Johnny Utah]

I've never bought into the mythology arond Zarqawi as the Big Bad Guy. Now, even if he's a fraction of what they say he was, the wolrd is better off without him. But we've heard this song and dance before, so I'll pass on the chest beating. TYhe problems in Iraq go well beyond one man.

A few weeks back the US military released some home video footage that revealed Zarqawi as a buffoon who did not even know how to use a gun.

His skills holding a weapon were not great but that doesn't take away his skills of being able to organize attacks as he was very skilled at organizing attacks in Iraq and Jordan..

[Johnny Utah]

Indeed, I will echo Black Dog's thoughts.

Now, even if he's a fraction of what they say he was, the wolrd is better off without him. But we've heard this song and dance before, so I'll pass on the chest beating. TYhe problems in Iraq go well beyond one man.

I read something this morning about it, something like "The US has been after him for 2 full weeks now...". I thought that odd...

There were 13 other members killed with him, so that could have been the plan to get all the targets in one place and strike..

[no1important]

It is good news if it is really true, I know he has been "caught" and "killed" before.

I am also not convinced he was even a real person yet and not a figment of the bush crime family.

But now that he is "dead" I wonder how long before they have a new boogeyman or a new "face" to replace him. The timing of this needs to be questioned as things are going bad for bushie on the home front and this is something to draw attention away from that.

[Shady]

I am also not convinced he was even a real person yet and not a figment of the bush crime family

Now that's a new one. I hadn't heard that one before. I'm familiar with the more popular kook-left talking points regarding Al-Zarqawi. He wasn't really that important anyways, or that, he's not really dead. But he's not a real person? Too funny. If you types are good for anything, it's definitely humor. Keep up the good work!

[August1991]

It is good news if it is really true, I know he has been "caught" and "killed" before.

The identification is absolutely solid.

This reminds me of the CIA killing of Che Guevara in Bolivia. Then too they deliberately displayed the body so that everyone knew he was dead. The framed headshot of Zarqawi even reminds me of Guevara.

There's also a good video of the bombing run that destroyed the house where he was hiding.

Something else. Will somebody collect the $25 million reward? Who?

And it appears that Iraqi security took Zarqawi prisoner in 2004 but then released him because ethey didn't know who he was.

Anyway, this is good news.

[I miss Reagan]

I'm not sure this is gonna make a lick of difference. Zarqawi's group is a small part of the tiny minority of insurgents who come from outside Iraq. The insurghency itself is large and made up of dozens of factions. The fact is, his death will have little impact on the activities of the various sectarian groups that are carying out he bulk of the violence in Iraq. IOW: what Liam said.

Hey BD don't forget that Zarqawi had nothing to do with Al Qaeda.

[I miss Reagan]

This reminds me of the CIA killing of Che Guevara in Bolivia. Then too they deliberately displayed the body so that everyone knew he was dead. The framed headshot of Zarqawi even reminds me of Guevara.

Great so now we're going to have to put up with our college aged lefties walking around with red Zarqawi T-shirts.

[Black Dog]

Hey BD don't forget that Zarqawi had nothing to do with Al Qaeda.

And you can't discount his involvement in S.P.E.C.T.R.E either. Do you have a point or are you just pleasuring yourself?

[Temagami Scourge]

I think what the Americans need to do now is allow common Iraqi citizens to abuse the body, drag it behind a car or two, make a video of it all and sell it throughtout the Muslim world, with a vignette of G.W. at the end inviting people to "bring it on".

Or...T-shirts can be made with al-Zarqawi's death photo on it, with headings like "bring it on" or "Do you want some of this" or "a good terrorist" or "Kill 'em all and let Allah sort them out"...or the piece de resistance: "Look, my God is Stronger than Yours".

[I miss Reagan]

Hey BD don't forget that Zarqawi had nothing to do with Al Qaeda.

And you can't discount his involvement in S.P.E.C.T.R.E either. Do you have a point or are you just pleasuring yourself?

Just having fun. Come on Black Dog, admit you were wrong and I'll admit Iraq was a mistake

Or...T-shirts can be made with al-Zarqawi's death photo on it, with headings like "bring it on" or "Do you want some of this" or "a good terrorist" or "Kill 'em all and let Allah sort them out"...or the piece de resistance: "Look, my God is Stronger than Yours".

I love it!

[Temagami Scourge]

On another interesting note, all news sources are saying that al-Zarqawi was given up by the "no. 2 or No. 3" person in al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Would this not have been a convenient way for an Iraqi underling to get rid of a Jordanian overlord and supplant him in the resistance?

How do we know that things haven't got worse now?

[Black Dog]

Just having fun. Come on Black Dog, admit you were wrong and I'll admit Iraq was a mistake

Wrong about what? Zarqawi's connections with Al Qaeda prior to the Iraq war are tenous at best. Most accounts place his organization as a rival of bin Laden. Once he set up shop in Iraq, he re-named his group al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, but there's no evidence that there were any operational ties between the groups. If anything, Zarqawi appears to have simply co-opted the successful and well known Al Qaeda "brand".

[I miss Reagan]

Just having fun. Come on Black Dog, admit you were wrong and I'll admit Iraq was a mistake

Wrong about what? Zarqawi's connections with Al Qaeda prior to the Iraq war are tenous at best. Most accounts place his organization as a rival of bin Laden. Once he set up shop in Iraq, he re-named his group al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, but there's no evidence that there were any operational ties between the groups. If anything, Zarqawi appears to have simply co-opted the successful and well known Al Qaeda "brand".

My bad. I forgot you are never wrong.