Zarqawi's death may cause more harm than good...ABC News

[Philosoraptor]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2054466&page=1

"If Sheik al-Zarqawi has died, he will go to heaven, God willing, and there will be 200 million al-Zarqawis after him" — ominous words from one Islamic extremist Web site posted in an al-Qaeda clearinghouse shortly after the news of al-Zarqawi's death.

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On Arabic-language networks Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, some experts in the Middle East have said this killing represents a victory, a step toward attaining security in Iraq, while others believe al-Zarqawi's death could cause more harm than good.

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Depending on whom you ask, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death won't necessarily improve the situation in the war on terror.

[Name removed]

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[Minnesota Libra]

2. I'm beginning to think this too simply because "Zarqawi" will............

....be seen as a martyr and many will want to follow in his footsteps.

[Kutjara]

3. Blinding grasp of the obvious.

Since about, oh, four million BC the best way to galvanize support for a minority political movement has been through martyrs. Nothing works like dying for the cause. Every martyr inspires 100 more in his/her name. This is why you don't invade theocratic countries. For fuck's sake, I'm not talking brain surgery here.

[magellan]

4. I think the most Bush** will get from this is a small bump in the polls

...from his base. It's a psychological victory to them. The reality that it will only harden the radicals who followed Zarqawi -- and that he'll already have been replaced -- isn't something they'll dwell on, if they consider it at all.

It may also provide a morale boost to some of the troops. Lord knows they need one. But I think the more pragmatic realize Zarqawi's death will have little positive effect on the hell they face every day.

Look at it this way: Zarqawi led a relatively small group of Sunni radicals. (Salafists is the term some kind DUer gave me the other day). They won't go away just because he's gone. And they're only one part in a very complex conflict between numerous sects, factions and tribes, each with their own goal in Iraq.

You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea...particularly not when you insist on fueling it by being all your enemy advertises you to be. Bush** has been playing into the hands of the terrorists since 9/11. He shows no sign of changing.

[Name removed]

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[treestar]

11. Exactly, thinking that ideas are embodied in particular people

is freeper-think. Do they really think America would die if somehow Al Qaeda managed to kill Shrub? Don't answer that.
:hide:

[Chipper Chat]

13. Betcha KKKarl is on the phone right now with Wolf Blitzer

plotting a "new poll" which "comes out today" showing Bush rebounding to 40%.
No, make that 41%. 40% sounds too contrived (me trying to think like bush's brain - yuk - pardon me while I go throw up).

[mhatrw]

5. Yes, to BushCo, that is.

The DOD inflated myth of Zarqawi was BushCo's bestest imaginary friend.

It will be hard to replace him.

WaPo - Zarqawi is a US Military PSYOP: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/09/AR2006040900890.html

The NY Times Played Along: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002314713

Zarqawi - Bush's Man For All Seasons: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FJ15Ak02.html

UPI (Moonie Times) - How the US Created the Zarqawi Myth: http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:2QuiYcfLZV0J:www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php%3FStoryID%3D20051110-014753-2561r+Claim:+U.S.+Created+al-Zarqawi+Myth&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

CIA Agent Says US Allowed Zarqawi to Escape: http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/us-allowed-zarqawi-to-escape/2006/04/30/1146335608444.html

How the US fuelled myth of Zarqawi the mastermind: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/04/wirq04.xml

Reputed Terrorist Al-Zarqawi Still Shrouded in U.S.-Fed Myth, Mystery: http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/1546

A collection of pix of our happily finally actually dead parrot: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2327738&mesg_id=2328504

A collection of previous links saying Zarqawi was dead, seriously injured or captured: http://www.conjur.com/blog/2005/11/20/zarqawis-dead-again-3rd-times-a-charm-eh

From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/04/10/GR2006041000097.html

[Eugene]

7. The damage was already done.

Al Zarqawi was minor league extremist who happend to get an excellent
P.R. organization behind him, Bush & Co. They pumped up this wannabe
rival to Osama bin Laden into the "Emir of Iraq" who helped al Qaeda
recruit militants from all over the region.

Al Zarqawi was an evil son of a bitch, but his death comes way too late.
The civil war that he helped instigate is now in full swing. The rival
death squads now kill more people than his suicide bombers. In the
three years it took to swat this mosquito, he became a Jihadist hero
and now a martyr.

[Philosoraptor]

9. How to totally screw up an occupation 101.

They just make it up as they go along.

[Skittles]

12. THANK YOU; I AM GLAD THE SOB IS DEAD

but bush inc has created thousands more to take his place

[ClintonTyree]

8. His death isn't going to change one damned thing.

They've turned him into a martyr now, the ultimate goal of many of these extremists. Christ, the talking heads are acting like it was Zarqawi that pulled every single string in the Iraqi "insurgency". He was a figurehead and not a whole lot more. There will be hundreds more to take his place and they in turn will try to "out Zarqawi, Zarqawi".
Meanwhile......where's Bin Laden, the REAL mastermind of 9/11? :shrug: Hmmmm? Anyone...........anyone? Just as I thought. We'll be picking off "number two's" from here to eternity and it won't make a damned bit of difference. I would expect some massive retaliation from the "insurgents" in the near future just to drive this point home. I hope all of our troops over there don't let their guard down one iota because they got Zarqawi. There's hundreds more waiting in line to take his place.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. Violence begets violence, wars beget yet more wars, and when

you take on an ideology, you'd better pack a lunch, cuz not only are you being foolhardy, you are setting yourself up for some serious disappointments along the way.

[papau]

14. 40000 active armed insurgents of which 200 were led by Zarqawi

"death won't necessarily improve the situation in the war on terror" seems reasonable.

[notadmblnd]

15. Where the hell are all of these Al Qaeda websites?

I've never seen a link posted or come across one.