Zarqawi's death
I woke up today to the news of Zarqawi's death.
This is the best day of its kind since the announcement of Saddam's capture. And it does not seem this time as though reports of Zarqawi's death have been greatly exaggerated; this appears to be the real deal at last.
There's an especially interesting roundup of views at Pajamas Media. Note particularly the ones from Iraqi bloggers. And please contrast their attitude with Dr. Sanity's compendium of views on the left, fine exemplars of the art of the "yes, but...".
The NY Times reports an interesting incident of Tony Snow's prescience:
As news that United States forces had killed the most wanted terrorist in Iraq began to spread through the American security apparatus late Wednesday afternoon, President Bush and his top advisers were meeting in the White House with congressional leaders, who were nervous about continued trouble in Iraq.
"What you really need to do," Representative Ray LaHood of Illinois told the president, "is go get Zarqawi," according to an account by the White House press secretary, Tony Snow, who was at the meeting.
"I said 'Yeah, we'll just order that up right now,' " Mr. Snow recalled in an interview this morning.
Minutes after that exchange, at 3:45 p.m., the national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, left the room in response to a Blackberry message to call the American ambassador to Iraq in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad.
"We think we have Zarqawi," Mr. Khalilzad told him.
Was Zarqawi the source of all evil in Iraq? No. Will his death make the insurgency go away? Not a chance. But it's another victory on the long slow and arduous road to some sort of functioning and democratic government in Iraq, and a message to others of his ilk as to what fate awaits them. And, if the Iraqi bloggers are any indication, a cause for ordinary Iraqis to rejoice.
Celebration at the death of an evildoer--and if there was a clearer example of an evildoer than Zarqawi on the face of this earth I can't quite think of one at the moment--is a tricky phenomenon. Zarqawi was human, of that I am certain. As a human being, he deserves some sort of respect. But a long time ago he forfeited the right to be mourned in the usual way, and it is appropriate to be glad of the fact that he is no longer among us to inspire whomever it might be who found his particular brand of sociopathic thuggery impressive and charismatic.
For a sociopathic thug he almost undoubtedly was, with roots in garden-variety criminality, writ large over time through political opportunity and positioning so that he could work his evil on a vaster scale than most ordinary psychopaths. If we or anyone else shed a tear for Zarqawi, it should be for the fact that a human being can become so corrupted and lost, so brutal and bereft of humanity, that his death would cause such universal and justifiable rejoicing.
Who turned him in? He certainly didn't lack enemies, including those in Jordan angered by his killing his own, like a rabid dog. The twenty-five million dollar reward probably sweetened the pot.
But celebration is clearly in order today, so sing it high, sing it low.
posted by neo-neocon @ 11:21 AM
27 comments
27 Comments:
Started my day off with a smile :)
Read it 3 hours ago courtesy of bookworm.
This is the summarized point I made there. I believed it because centcome absolutely "confirmed" that he died, with photos and their website.
These weren't the "rumours", "speculations", and "possibilities" that were reported before. TS at Bookworm's site has a few links, conveniently, to the previous reports of deaths.
My bet is with the military, they know what they are talking about. No one else does.
It is certainly something to celebrate but he will surely be replaced by more of the same. There is a momentum to this mayhem but it is difficult to see what may happen next.
Possibilities.
1. This is the start of a process of pacification in Iraq - seems optimistic, but you never know.
2. Someone worse appears to attract the basest of his followers. Always possible but quite hard to conceive of worse.
3. A less extreme but equally committed and politically more aware indivdual steps into the breach. I see this as more likely. Zarqawi was so evil that he attracted support for the occupying powers. Paradoxically someone better could be worse.
...oh and never forget that the power of Zarqawi was a result of the invasion; it has been the breeding ground for these kind of psychopaths.
But we can feel pleased for a day or so as it is refreshing to have some positive news.
Zarqawi was so evil that he attracted support for the occupying powers. Paradoxically someone better could be worse.
...oh and never forget that the power of Zarqawi was a result of the invasion; it has been the breeding ground for these kind of psychopaths.
Zarqawi was so evil because he followed Islamic Law to a T. The power of Zarqawi was the results of the Quran as it was revealed to Muhammad. And your last statement is true, “it has been the breeding ground for these kind of psychopaths” yes, since its beginning. Indeed, of course, nevertheless, despite the Quran’s unreformed and unrepentant Arabic text and Sharia … I get branded as, well, and you can go ahead and type it out... now…
Of Mohammedan Bogeymen and Bearded Ayrab Terrists: Why Zarqawi Had To Die
Earlier today, Gen. George Casey commander of US occupation troops in Iraq held a “joint press conference” with the Quislings of Baghdad to announce the elimination of Abu Musa’b al-Zarqawi, “the terrorist leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq”.
Casey had a nice “story line” ready to sell, full of heroic subplots involving choreographed strikes by American GI’s and “new Iraqi” soldiers working hand in hand like virile “allies” are supposed to, and backed by a series of neat (too neat to be true) artifacts such as the deceased public enemy numero uno’s framed photographs and magnified fingerprints appearing on the projected slides of an elaborate PowerPoint presentation.
As my old blogging friend Sophie pointed out, this smelled a rat: the fact that the announcement of Zarqawi’s death coincided precisely with the long-awaited (more than 4 months…) nomination of Iraq’s new security ministers (Defense, Interior and NSA) only added to our legitimate suspicions…
And what can we possibly say of the striking resemblance between the pictures of Zarqawi’s inanimate corpse and those of Latin America’s most “subversive” revolutionary, Ernesto Che Guevara who died in similar conditions 40 years ago?
Pervasiveness of the proverbially “aggressive” Arab-Hispanic ethnic and cultural “traits” threatening the integrity of our beloved Western civilization?
Common use of the advanced mortuary toileting techniques in vogue at the CIA during the Cold War?
Allah and Samuel P. Huntington only know…
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The vacum left by his death will produce some squabbling and competition in the ranks for leadership roles, which when filled by no means will produce the solidarity and unity under zaqawri. The power vacum should create as well a degree of mistrust when new leaders emerge and a bit of jealousy. Men without the experience of zaqawri will make more mistakes and will be easier to kill. Al qaidah doesn't either know how much intelligence was obtained from the site/safe house where Z. was killed, i.e. salvaged hard drives, documents, cell phones, etc. This should put some of them on the move and motion can yield detection and tracking and attacks. It was a major victory no matter how you cut it. It will be interesting to know the success of the raids conducted shortly after the hit on zarqawi. Elements of the Left are just about in mourning over this - no surprise there. There is no telling the number of Iraqi civilians that have been spared a violent death becaise of the demise of zarqawi, yet some of the wretches from the Left can't even celebrate this simple fact. All in a day in the ongoing war on terrorism I guess.....
Some of the propaganda apparatus on the Left, are pretty intimidating.
They just don't give it up.
Vic's been a regular here for awhile now.
In a guerrila movement, a lot of it is based upon the popularity and charisma of the leader. Without that leader, the troops don't have the discipline to attack as a single body. They scatter, and become a lot less dangerous.
So people may hope that another leader will come in and fill the slot, but that's like saying your child can be easily replaced after he gets eviscerated. Easier said than done.
Given how much time Confud has invested in this site, with his digging up of many many links. Why doesn't Confud have his own blog? Too hard?
Zarqawi was so evil because he followed Islamic Law to a T. which kind of demonstrates why the little apple thief finds the whole Iraq situation so difficult to comprehend. Zarqawi was not a good muslim he was an evil f****r who was widely reviled by muslims and who got what he deserved.
You stick to your "all muslims are evil" nonsense. At least it makes it easy for you to think you understand the world.
...oh and sally those comments are just silly - even by your standards.
I see fewer and fewer people are engaging the 'trolls' - the main thing is to remember their kind and their froth come election time. The near mourning of zarqawi by elements of the left will most certainly bite them on their butts when the votes get tallied. Keep up the foaming at the mouth, trolls! and a big fat thanks from the heartland -
Is there some kind of terrorist bombing fest going on? Do we got us a TBC (terrorist bombing competition) going on here between the US and Israel?I see IDF just incinerated abu samhadna with a missle in gaza. Free beer for those gunners too! Congrats, fellas! Such clear markers of success in the global war on terrorism will cause some on the Left to not only gnash their teeth in frustration but possibly pee all over themselves as they lose emotional control. Neo may have to provide Pampers to some of her trolls - someone sneak them a video of pilots guffawing and back-slapping in the hangars so they can feel better about themselves.
Zarqawi was not a good muslim he was an evil f****r who was widely reviled by muslims and who got what he deserved.
Zarqawi was indeed a good Muslim – a very good Muslim, a Muslim that Mohammad would have been proud to call his son, a Muslim that the Iranian Mullahs would have been proud to call their follower [follower is there are better term for this anyone?]. Most Muslims simply refuse to follow Islamic Law to the letter, or they have no idea what the Quran teaches. They are good people by this default. I never suggested that all Muslims are evil. I have good friends and neighbors who are Muslim and I respect them because I know they love their children, they work hard, they as individuals are fair-minded, have meticulous manners that I can only learn from, and are interesting to be around.
neoneoconned, you stick to your "all conservatives are evil" nonsense. At least it makes it easy for you to think you understand the world.
Follow up: It is this fact, that most Muslims are good people, is what gives me hope that they can reject Islam outright or begin a Reformation, chose a democratic form of government and step into the 21 century, in peace and harmony with all of their neighbors – extremely Optimist I knoooow I knowww I knowwww BUT it’s better than doing the Theronuclear Boogy. So wake up sleepy head lalala lalala -- that song is so cute and appropriate I’m just giggling al day long :D
yeah yeah little apple thief. Never said all cons are evil just that some of them are a bit dim.....as for the previous comment..
cause some on the Left to not only gnash their teeth in frustration but possibly pee all over themselves
well....
Arguments boys not bullshit...you know it makes sense
Are most muslims good people? How would you know? The traditions and mindset of most muslims is so completely different than those of most westerneres that he can not make a valid assessment.
Islam is not a religion in a western sense. Instead it is a total way of life--a totalitarian way of life. It is politics, war strategy and tactics, a supremacist ideology, and a religion, plus a lot of other things. Then if you tack on all the tribalist traditions, customs, and other ways of thinking, you do not have a person who thinks the same way as a westerner thinks.
You see in European countries that once the percentage of muslims gets to a certain point--close to ten per cent--the demands for sharia religious law and courts grow louder. If the western nation gives in to those demands, it is the beginning of the end. Dhimmitude lurks very near at that point.
And when you haven't the capacity to debate -- call them names yeah yeah little apple thief.
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OR, instead of name calling, do what Mary Anne Weaver of the Atlantic Online did, according to Christopher Hitchens, just re-craft the story to show that Zarqawi was an America invention. Tada!
Remember: Commandant #1 of the “10 Commandants of Multiculturalism” is America is inherently evil…
Now, I’ll read the story and decide for myself, you can read it too at:
The Short, Violent Life of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi: How a video-store clerk and small-time crook reinvented himself as America’s nemesis in Iraq
"You see in European countries that once the percentage of muslims gets to a certain point--close to ten per cent--the demands for sharia religious law and courts grow louder. If the western nation gives in to those demands, it is the beginning of the end. Dhimmitude lurks very near at that point."
There are several counterexamples to this. Turkey. Bangladesh. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation and democracy.
European countries have problems for several reasons. One, many of their citizens are racist, contrary to the leftist belief of European utopia. Secondly, they've been taking immigrants from countries without discrimination -- many times they end up with garbage that countries like Egypt don't want. You can't preach radicalism against Mubarak in Cairo, but you certainly can in Finsbury Park. Lastly, European countries are highly socialist, which means instead of encouraging their immigrants to sink or swim, they herd them in housing projects. In contrast, Muslims in the United States tend to have jobs, which means violence would be against their friends and coworkers, which is why astonishingly we've seen little over the last five years, despite 2,000,000 of them.
Another problem is that Europe is Iran and the Arab's contingency plan. If Iran falls, and Iraq succedes, if the US wins in the Mid East with a Total Victory then Europe is their fallback plan.
They've been preparing Europe for decades now. They know that whatever they do in Europe, Europe has neither the power nor the will to strike back at the centers of propagation in Arabia.
As Jason described, this does not have to be some master plan or conspiracy. All you need is regimes like Saudi Arabia exporting terroists to the West, to have Europe as the fallback plan of Islamic JIhad.
Europe is the second staging ground of Islamic Jihad. To be used in conjunction with the Mid East or in place of the Mid East. Africa and Indonesia are tertiary, staging grounds and war fronts. In their infancy.
Never said all cons are evil just that some of them are a bit dim
And you are dhimwitted. The difference is … I’m right.
The difference is that Nyo has no burning desire to spread his misery around as Confud seems to do. Zarqawi showed what happens to people who over-extend themselves.
We actually set a bait, and it was called Z-Man's "spiritual adviser". They were tracking that spiritual adviser. Then when they connected it with z man's schedule... Boom. Two for the price of one. or 8 or 100 or how many other human torches were in that fortified house.
Ymir said that he is Australian Society. Do you know what he might have meant?
Ymir's the idiot, as I said before. While Ymar is smart, he is loco and pretty unstable. So I don't let him out all that often. I'm Sakar, and the most balanced of the bunch, so I'm the guy with the jail keys.
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