al Zarqawi: the "Leader of al Qaeda in Iraq"

[Don Claybrook]

Why am I seeing the phrase above in every major news outlet? From NPR to ABC to the New York Times, al Zarqawi is explained away as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

So they're saying that this guy who may or may not exist is the leader of a cell of an organization that may or may not exist, and if it does exist, its presence in Iraq surely hasn't been made clear.

This is now pretty much presented as a fact in the mainstream media. And unless you stay on top of the news like most of us here do, you're likely to believe that there's a guy named al Zarqawi doing bin Laden's bidding in Iraq.

Yeah, I know, this is the 283,472'nd instance of propaganda in our media, but I wanted to catalog it anyway.


By the way, has everyone heard that Emmanuel Goldstein is the leader of Oceana in Eastasia? It's all true; I saw it on the telescreen.

[ECH1969]

1. Probably because

He changed the name of his terrorist group to al-Qaeda in the land of two rivers. And, it is easier for them to just say al-Qaeda in Iraq rather then the whole name of his group.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Boogie Man...DoubleSpeak

First...how can there be a "leader" to an organization Bunnypants assures us has been destroyed? Or how is it our military spinner continue to say the "insurgency is petering out...these are just a few malcontents"? This wouldn't symbolize an organized resistance would it?

That brings me to my next question...and that's whose really on the "other side" here? It blows me away that people just can't relate to what our role in Iraq is. We're occupiers...nothing more, nothing less. We're an alien culture and force being imposed on the native culture and we're blissfully ignorant on how they live and what they really want. Even worse is our designs on their resources are clear and this regime is building more bases there to solidfy their hold on the oil.

The hypocrisy is if this were happening to this country, the goons who support this occupation would be the ones who'd claim they'd be the first to resist...taking up arms in the hills and setting off IEDs just like is happening to our troops in Iraq. I guess the blood isn't deep enough...the pain hasn't hit home hard enough.

[allemand]

3. This is why:

"I believe that the mujahid emir, dignified brother Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and the groups affiliated with him are good and from the group that fights according to the orders of God. God sufficeth them.

We were pleased with their daring operations against the Americans and Allawi's renegade government. (...)

We in the al-Qaeda organisation warmly welcome their union with us. This is a great step toward rendering successful the efforts of the mujahideen to establish the state of right and annihilate the state of injustice.

We hope that God will accept and bless this step. It should be known that mujahid brother Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the emir of the al-Qaeda organisation in the Land of the Two Rivers."
(audio tape attributed to Osama Bin Laden, December 2004)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4129173.stm

[Don Claybrook]

4. Thanks...didn't know about that one

I don't for a second believe any of it, but it sure makes for a nice "bad guy handoff". Sounds like something that was dreamed up inside the Pentagon.

[radwriter0555]

5. ah right, another "dead speaking' tape... since OBL died in December

2001 in Tora Bora.

Odd that no a single iraqi has ever sighted zarqawri, isn't it?