Zarqawi Killed - At last!

lwflee SG

I see alot of naysayers here. Fair enough - that he is dead might ultimately mean nothing since another might take his place/ his role has been overhyped/etc etc.

But I think that is missing the point. This is a guy who boasted of beheading civilians and of carrying out mass murder. The world is a better place because he is dead. I would, of course have preferred him to be captured alive. But I am certainly not going to weep for his death.

liuzg150181 SG

Interestingly,it seems that someone had already predicted Zarqawi's demise the day before......... Shocked
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20060607.aspx
"Zarqawi Scheduled for Martyrdom
June 7, 2006: The relationship between terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi and and the mainline al Qaeda leadership continues to deteriorate. Zarqawi's recent audio messages have not only attacked the U.S. and the Shia-dominated government in Iraq, but also Iran. He's even claiming that the U.S., Iran, and Shia in general, are in cahoots to destroy Islam. He has also called for continued attacks against Shia.

Except for his verbal attacks on the U.S. and the Iraqi government, he is almost totally distanced himself from the central leadership. Other al Qaeda leaders have been trying to down play anti-Iranian and anti-Shia rhetoric, and have been strongly discouraging attacks on civilians.

Given that Zarqawi has become a loose cannon and that his actions are handicapping Al Qaeda's efforts, it seems reasonable to expect that an accident may befall him at some point in the near future. If handled right it can be made to look like he went out in a blaze of glory fighting American troops or that he was foully murdered. Either way, al Qaeda gets rid of a problem and gains another "martyr." "

sgFish SG

any idea what the bombs that killed him were? It said they were 500 pound weapons. Were they Mk-82s, 82Rs, GBU-12s or GBU-38s?

moca SG

Capturing Saddam Hussein was the only good thing to happen in Iraq.

By capturing him, humiliating and degrading him, Saddam has overnight become a nobody. If you set him loose in Baghdad now I think no Iraqi will give him the time of day. Notice how no insurgent groups are fighting in Saddam's name.

But if the opposite had happened: i.e. US killed Saddam. He may become a martyr and give insurgents a banner to unite under.

Same with folks like Zarqawi. I'm sure US had considered capturing him but maybe too difficult. By killing him you just inspire more people to try and replace him or outdo him.

The Israelis had been assasinating PLO or Hamas leaders for decades. But this hasn't had the intended result of curbing terrorism. If nothing else its immediate result is to cause the Palestinians to give tit for tat and more terror attacks result.

lwflee SG

I dun think it was seriously considered. After the somalia nonsense, they probably prefer to just JDAM the bugger from above.

lwflee SG

Not sure how accurate, but according to the Arizona Daily Star Online,

The first bomb that struck al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a Paveway GBU-12 model finished in Tucson at Raytheon Missile Systems.
It was followed by a GBU-38 strapped to a satellite-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), said Lt. Gen. Gary North, the top U.S. air commander in the region.

touchstone_2000 SG

How accurate is it?

Well if you lase or paint a truck driver through the driver's window, the LGB will be hitting the driver on the head through the same window.

MobyDog SG

And killed a 16 yr old mother and her infant ???

lwflee SG

And? This is the US remember?

lwflee SG

I think you misunderstood me. I was referring to the accuracy of the newspaper report - Journalists not, imo, being the paragon of accuracy and honesty they are supposed to be.

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