Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is DEAD

[Old Guy]

I'm not going to brag about it, but Al-Z's death is a postitive development.  Although, perhaps of more importance in the long run:

1.  Local people aided in fingering Z-man.
2.  Related raids have generated a substantial amount of intelligence, some of which is probably being acted on now.
3.  Regardless of the MSM spin, Z's recent efforts, especially on video tape, made him look like a fool and his dead body is a powerful deterrent to would-be martyrs.

We'll see how it all plays out. 

Jim

 

[xenobard]

This development in Iraq and the recent arrest of terror suspects in Toronto and London together have given a lot of people hope that this war on terror can in fact be won.

domestic security and coalition forces

 

[Michael Dorosh]

3.  Regardless of the MSM spin, Z's recent efforts, especially on video tape, made him look like a fool and his dead body is a powerful deterrent to would-be martyrs.

Mostly agree with your post, but this sentence is a bit odd. Isn't the desired end-state of a "would be martyr" death? How would the spectre of death be a deterrent then, if that is the goal they are striving for?

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Because thats the goal they want/sell to their peons,...not themselves.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Glad the murdering F*** is dead, along with his buddies (to bad about the kid) Plus the 17 raids shortly after is all icing on a yummy cake!

 

[Kirkhill]

Let's put it this way, if Zarqawi had craved martyrdom I am sure he had many opportunities to fulfil that wish.

I suppose the fact that he delayed his martyrdom by all means possible demonstrated his selfless willingness to sacrifice his wishes for the cause and allow others to precede him into paradise.

Reminds me of Boris and Natasha on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.  Poor old Boris has been blown up again and Natasha glides out of the room with "I'm too important to be captured".

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Let's put it this way, if Zarqawi had craved martyrdom I am sure he had many opportunities to fulfil that wish.

I suppose the fact that he delayed his martyrdom by all means possible demonstrated his selfless willingness to sacrifice his wishes for the cause and allow others to precede him into paradise.

Reminds me of Boris and Natasha on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.  Poor old Boris has been blown up again and Natasha glides out of the room with "I'm too important to be captured".

Not being in Al Qaeda, I'm not sure which cartoon portrayal of him is most accurate. I'm just saying, if his death is being seen as a deterrent to those wishing to also die for the cause, I'm not sure how. Rational thought doesn't seem to be part of their thought process.  I hope the real advantage here is that the organization lost one of its key organizing forces and leaders. Given his handling of the M249 I think we know he is not one of the small arms instructors. 

I mean, think of what it would mean to the average reserve unit here to lose the RSS staff, the CO and the RSM. mmmm...well, that's a bad example, I'm sure the CSMs and OCs would step up quite well in most units. Let's hope Al Qaeda is less well organized than we are then.

But if we are banking on our enemies to be girly babies and run screaming at the sight of a dead body, I suspect that may be wishful thinking. Hopefully their reaction is less visceral - and that their CSMs and OCs maybe stop to consider their diminished prospects of success and our own relentlessness.  But we probably don't have to be in AQ ourselves to realize they don't think that way.

Maybe George was right about Al-Jazeera's broadcast yesterday - think the two are related? The US kilsl one of their main bad dudes in Iraq, they post some crap about capturing our boys if Afghanistan before the word spreads?

Wait and see, huh.

 

[17thRecceSgt]

video of the bombing is avail on CNN now as well...

Good riddance you SOB

 

[Old Guy]

Michael,

The statement is based on my conclusion of what pushes many (certainly not all) would-be martyrs down the path to their own death.  Suicide bombers are apparently motivated through intense indoctrination right up to the time they set out on their one-way missions.  To me, these indoctrination sessions most resemble intense brain-washing sessions.  One thing they do not seem to include are gruesome pictures of already martyred bombers.

I suspect the fumbling-weapon video of Al-Z and the pic of his riddled body will dissuade some candidate members of Al Queda and other such terrorist groups. 

Naturally, I could be completely off base here.  That's not an unusual situation for me.

Jim

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

BUT it is unlikely we will see his riddled body.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Michael,

The statement is based on my conclusion of what pushes many (certainly not all) would-be martyrs down the path to their own death.  Suicide bombers are apparently motivated through intense indoctrination right up to the time they set out on their one-way missions.  To me, these indoctrination sessions most resemble intense brain-washing sessions.  One thing they do not seem to include are gruesome pictures of already martyred bombers.

I suspect the fumbling-weapon video of Al-Z and the pic of his riddled body will dissuade some candidate members of Al Queda and other such terrorist groups. 

Naturally, I could be completely off base here.  That's not an unusual situation for me.

Jim

Well, I think we see eye-to-eye on our hope that this particular bad dude was in fact someone whose organizational abilities and leadership will be sorely missed.

 

[tamouh]

I enjoyed the response of the father of Nicholas Berg. His son waskilled in Iraq suppousdly by Al-Zarqawi group. Though I personally don't think Al-Zarqawi's death will not make or break things, it is a sign of relief for those who wanted him dead in the first place:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/08/berg.interview/index.html

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I enjoyed the response of the father of Nicholas Berg. His son was killed in Iraq suppousdly by Al-Zarqawi group.

Possibly by Al-Zarqawi personally. Berg's father's response was the perfect example of a decent Christian response. Kudos to him.

 

[tomahawk6]

Berg's father is a member of ANSWER, a socialist/communist organization. To those folks Bush and the US are far worse than any dictator. I have no time for people like this.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

Possibly by Al-Zarqawi personally. Berg's father's response was the perfect example of a decent Christian response. Kudos to him.

Oh, did you carefully read what he had to say?

Yes, well, I don't believe that scenario, because every time news of new atrocities committed by Americans in Iraq becomes public, more and more of the everyday Iraqi people who tried to hold out, who tried to be peaceful people lose it and join -- what we call the insurgency, and what I call the resistance...

I'm not saying Saddam Hussein was a good man, but he's no worse than George Bush.

Very Christian indeed.  Perhaps he should hook up with the Christian Peacemakers...they seem to be of the same mind.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Oh, did you carefully read what he had to say?

Very Christian indeed.  Perhaps he should hook up with the Christian Peacemakers...they seem to be of the same mind.

He was quoted at the battlefront board; I only read the following:

BERG: Well, you shouldn't be surprised, because I have never indicated anything but forgiveness and peace in any interview on the air.

O'BRIEN: No, no. And we have spoken before, and I'm well aware of that. But at some point, one would think, is there a moment when you say, 'I'm glad he's dead, the man who killed my son'?

BERG: No. How can a human being be glad that another human being is dead?

And a poster added: "He is certainly anti-Bush and anti-Iraq war. But I dont see him shedding any tears. I just see a man who is true to what he believes, and taking no joy in the death of another human being."

Out of context, apparently. Either way, the answer to your question is "no" I didn't read what he said.

 

[Kat Stevens]

"Not this again.  I hope they buried what was left of him according to his faith. The cycle of rage has to end somewhere."


Ah yes very thoughtless of me.  In future I must ask myself "what would Micheal Dorosh do?" before posting....  Mea culpa.

 

[Infanteer]

Did you guys get the commemorative shirt?

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

I'll see that and raise it by saying I wouldn't feel bad if he was thrown in a pen full of hungrey pigs al a Snatch (the movie).

 

[old medic]

He's dead.  Period.
End of Thread.
It will not re-open.