Thursday, June 08, 2006

Z Man: RIP

US Officials report  Al-Qaida in Iraq's al-Zarqawi killed. Iraq the Model has details.

It will have been a dramatic comedown for a man who on only on March 22, 2006 was acclaimed "the superstar of the international jihad".

Hugh Hewitt: "Five years ago, we did not know what the quality of life for the Iraqis was. But it was a dismal, totalitarian regime, from which escape was not possible. And so while ‘the boom’ matters, and while those conditions are certainly desperate, in many parts of the country, and Baghdad is a dangerous place, compared to what, Mr. Ware? Compared to Baghdad under Saddam? Are you arguing that Iraqis are worse off today than they were four years ago?"

Michael Ware of Time: "Yeah, well, I think if you asked a lot of Iraqis, I think you’d be surprised by what the answer is. A, a lot of them say, what, this is democracy? The joke is, you call this liberation? And, ok, let’s look at the context, as you suggest. Let’s look at the even bigger picture. What is the bigger picture? Who’s winning from this war? Who is benefitting right now? Well, the main winners so far are al-Qaeda, which is stronger than it was before the invasion. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a nobody. Now he’s the superstar of international jihad. And Iran, Iran essentially has a proxy government in place, a very, very friendly government. Its sphere of influence has expanded and any U.S. diplomat or seeing a military intelligence commander here, will tell you that. So that’s the big picture."

Iraq the Model provides detail

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has just announced the death of terror leader Abu Musa'ab al-Zarqawi in a joint press conference with Ambassador Khalil Zad. Al-Maliki explained that Zarqawi (and 7 of his aides) was killed in a US-Iraqi raid in the little town of Hibhib 8 km north of Baquba after receiving tips from residents in the area. General Casey says more details on the operation will be available in a briefing at 3 pm local time. General Casey mentioned that Zarqawi's identity was confirmed through his fingerprints.

I interviewed Omar at Iraq the Model for Pajamas Media. You can listen to the podcast here.

27 Comments:

Blogger Deuce ☂ said...

Thank God, not the false diety of the head hacking vermin, but the Lord God Almighty. What a wonderful day and gift.

6/08/2006 01:13:00 AM  
Blogger What is "Occupation" said...

another dead palestinian...

one must be proud of this so called people "palestine""

murderers of kids, old men and women..

what a people...

6/08/2006 01:48:00 AM  
Blogger Brett L said...

Hey, maybe this is the stick for the Iranian nuke talks.

Actually, I'm just glad one of the enemies of civilization is dead. May the rest follow faster.

6/08/2006 03:08:00 AM  
Blogger wretchardthecat said...

Habu_1,

RIP=Rest in Pieces. Well, that might work.

6/08/2006 04:23:00 AM  
Blogger Huan said...

RIP?
try SiH (suffer in hell)

6/08/2006 04:34:00 AM  
Blogger Dr. Mabuse said...

cannoneer - I'm sure 24 hours won't pass before we hear the plaintive whine, "But why haven't we caught Osama bin Laden yet?"

6/08/2006 05:14:00 AM  
Blogger Brett L said...

After a shower, coffee, and a little time out for a happy dance or two, I also notice that there were 7 other AQ guys killed. That can't be good for their command structure.

Here's to hoping there's more actionable intelligence lying around the Zarqman's house. Roll 'em up, boys. Let's see if we can set a record for number of AQ Martyrs created in a single week.

6/08/2006 05:41:00 AM  
Blogger Karridine said...

Wispy post at LGF hit from Aaron in Jerusalem, in the middle of my work-day in Bangkok!

Snoopy-danced for a minute or two, then scripted and recorded TWO classified recordings, loaned to me by my leaker in the NSA (Illegal Wiretaps Div.), so I posted them at
BrainSurgeryWithSpoons.blogspot.com

What a GREAT DAY! Bye-bye, 'SuperStar of the Jihad!' Say HI to Uday and Qusay!

6/08/2006 06:26:00 AM  
Blogger Jamie Irons said...

Wretchard,

On Fox News they are showing a pair of portraits, both taken very recently, that on the right showing Zarqawi looking defiant and alive, that on the left showing him looking very ordinary and very dead.

The psychological effect of these portraits on the surviving jihadis should be profound.

Thank G_d!

Jamie Irons

(By the way, What is occupation, (1:48 a.m.), and forgive my pedantry, but Zarqawi is (was!) Jordanian.

6/08/2006 07:13:00 AM  
Blogger Jrod said...

Light, Sweet Crude Oil futures: last sale $69.65 down $1.07 on the day.
The market has determined that Z-Man was worth exactly $1.07

6/08/2006 07:14:00 AM  
Blogger Boghie said...

Just imagine if America followed Mawkish Murtha's sage advice:

To start pulling out of Iraq in November. To station our troops in Okinawa - soon to be moved again to some other little island in the balmy Pacific. To have the Army back in Germany - ready for the 2006 Oktoberfest... Giving stern looks and scary faces to the terrorists way over the horizon!!!

Hhhhmmmmm...

What would the status of Z-Man be if we had followed this brilliant Marines advice...

6/08/2006 07:31:00 AM  
Blogger Pax Federatica said...

My thoughts here on my newly-resurrected blog.

6/08/2006 07:34:00 AM  
Blogger Boghie said...

The nice thing about dealing with a barbarian enemy:

1. They do not have a 'peaceful' transition of power.

2. They tend to follow their great leaders.

3. They can crumble rather quickly upon the early demise of their barbarian leader.

While they can kill and maim and destroy without guidance they cannot act with any structure once their leadership is destroyed. And, they cannot replace their leadership without massive, barbaric power struggles.

Good Bye al-Qaeda in Iraq. Hope the Jihadi training went well.

6/08/2006 10:00:00 AM  
Blogger enscout said...

scott free:
You called it. Its the moonbats alright - the one running ABC NEWS!

It's all just a diversionary tactic brainchild of theat demon Karl Rove.

I raise my half-full glass & salute the good guys. Thanks for staying with it when Sen. Murtha traded his coat. If we had listened to him we would have abandoned the theater by now & this reality would not have arrived.

6/08/2006 10:51:00 AM  
Blogger Boghie said...

You can't win the game if you are not on the court...

Tell me again Mawkish Murtha - tell me how we win the GWOT if we vacate the theater of conflict? Murtha is still talking about the Lakers' chance of winning the NBA playoffs.

Could we have played a role in winning World War II by stationing our Navy in Pearl Harbor and looking quite grim and determined? Did we win by stationing a huge Army in Kansas - able to strike anywhere in CONUS at a months notice? Just asking...

To the Libs - You get nothing for this victory. You are quickly abdicating the opportunity to take part in building a lasting peace. Atrios et al., along with much of the Democratic Party, will be forgotten as the circa 1930 – 1945 isolationist conservatives are forgotten. Your actions are resulting in a One Party State here in the United States. Is that a good thing? Thanks for nothing.

6/08/2006 12:55:00 PM  
Blogger Doug said...

CAPTION NEEDED

6/08/2006 03:12:00 PM  
Blogger MathewK said...

Thank you to American and her Brave soldiers, Iraqis too, they have done the world a favour and rid the earth of this pig filth.

Hope you guys are celebrating, you should be.

6/08/2006 04:26:00 PM  
Blogger MathewK said...

Thank you to American and her Brave soldiers, Iraqis too, they have done the world a favour and rid the earth of this pig filth.

Hope you guys are celebrating, you should be.

6/08/2006 04:27:00 PM  
Blogger desert rat said...

In reference $1.07 USD, the value of “Z”.

That’s $1.07 per barrel, fellas.
Total US Imports, March ‘06 = 9.83 million barrels per day
31 days = 304.42 Million Barrels =
$324.73 Million USD “Z” premium for March ‘06

If considered an “average” it’s been 36 months of paying a “Z” premium of
$11 Billion USD “Z” Premium paid by US since the Iraq Invasion.

$1.07 USD or $11 Billion USD, that is a “big spread” in values.
Which is more deserving of a $25 Million USD Bounty?

6/08/2006 06:30:00 PM  
Blogger Dr. Mabuse said...

Karensky - that didn't take long, did it? And Reuters are getting into the act, and taking it mainstream, as witness their headline on Yahoo News: "Zarqawi found, but bin Laden still eludes US".

6/08/2006 06:43:00 PM  
Blogger desert rat said...

So, it light of the "averages". which is really more likely to be true
That Z was worth $1.07 USD
or that he helped steal $11 Billion USD from US.

Me, I'd vote for a conspiracy to steal $11 Billion USD, before I'd say the US Military spent 3 years and untold Millions USD hunting a jihadist worth one hundred and seven cents, US.

Belittle Z and the jihadi in this moment of Victory and elation. It is their due.
But there are only an estimated 2,000 foreign fighters estimated to be in Iraq, if off by half, then 4,000 foreigners at most.

Perhaps they are the key to the violence, perhaps not.

Is aQIraq a snake or a virus?
We'll know soon enough.

6/08/2006 06:43:00 PM  
Blogger 3Case said...

Screw him. Let them get on with identifying the next one so that we may kill him, too.

6/08/2006 09:12:00 PM  
Blogger Starling said...

Jrod and Drat, on my blog a few thoughts on Zarqawi's demise and its effect on oil prices:

A Price on His Head: The Economic Impact of Zarqawi's Demise

6/08/2006 10:45:00 PM  
Blogger Karridine said...

Boghie, not only do I agree with you, but so does my favorite leftist, Christopher Hitchens, who opines: "Zarqawi's death MATTERS, because if we had withdrawn (as a strident few have urged for so long), Zarqawi would now be lauded as the greatest freedom-fighter since Sallad-din, and Iraq would have been catapulted into a Stone Age existence with this semi-literate murderous psychopath thuggishly astride the whole nation!" (paraphrased for brevity, NOT for warp of meaning)

6/09/2006 01:27:00 AM  
Blogger Doug said...

gmat posted this on the next thread:
I thought it was thoughtful too:
---
I thought this guy made a lot of sense.

6/09/2006 01:51:00 AM  
Blogger desert rat said...

moderation does lead to duplication

6/09/2006 05:23:00 AM  
Blogger Captain Ramen said...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I propose a toast:

To the Z-man. You were indeed a worthy adversary. Randomly bombing women and children with no warning is such a brilliant strategy that even Patton himself would be forced to give props to.

Only a courageous worthy foe such as yourself could be man enough to saw the heads off of naïve liberals. The courage of 10,000 americans would only fill half of your glass.

May you receive your reward in the afterlife as promised by God Almighty. Not the 72 virgins in paradise, but rather 2 cabana boys in the darkest pits of hell.

We're gonna miss you buddy! :sniff:

6/09/2006 08:39:00 AM  

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