Al-zarqawi (1 Viewer)

[Sonic]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/AlQaedas-Zarqawi-is-dead-Iraqi-PM/2006/06/08/1149359875452.html

read it.. apparently he's dead atm

 

[davin]

i'd like to see a body... hope its accurate though

 

[Iron]

Well this has to be the biggest development in the Iraq War since like ages.
Impact on the insurgency? Anyone?

 

[banco55]

Well this has to be the biggest development in the Iraq War since like ages.
Impact on the insurgency? Anyone?

Minimal and short lived would be my prediction. If the insurgency continues unabated this could backfire on the US.

 

[davin]

one person won't matter, per se. depends on how many other higher ups have also been getting caught lately.

 

[Mono!]

ok there are two possbilites number one and the one I hope os that the leadership of Al Quadea is damaged to an extent that it can't recover been he was 2IC,however he will alos be called a maytar by some, could encourage more ppl to decide to blow themselves up and get 72 virgins personlly there virgins and got nfi wot to do 2ndly uv turned ourself into the worlds hardest jigsaw puzzle

 

[xeuyrawp]

Impact on the insurgency? Anyone?

I'm sure the hundreds of people that have been prepared to take his place will do so without hesitation. This isn't Nazism - knocking off the top bosses won't slow it down.

 

[Mono!]

If AQ has chain of comand weak leadership and there gone depends on how good the new leadership is if any emerges

 

[Optophobia]

Its guerilla warfare - each cell is unto his own.

 

[Iron]

I'm sure the hundreds of people that have been prepared to take his place will do so without hesitation. This isn't Nazism - knocking off the top bosses won't slow it down.

Ironically, my understanding is that the allies were reluctant to assassinate Adolph because his leadership became so wacko, that the Nazi's would be much more efficient without him.

Zarqawi was a bit of a mystery, I suppose. But he certainly had pulling power when it came to bagging recruits. How long will it take for the newbie to maintain the same enlistment levels I wonder?
Of course his death is being underplayed in light of the assumptions made when Saddam was captured, but I cant help but think that the Coalition is much more excited about this than they're letting on.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Ironically, my understanding is that the allies were reluctant to assassinate Adolph because his leadership became so wacko, that the Nazi's would be much more efficient without him.

I haven't heard that before - I thought it just had to do with the Allied leaders being spineless asses and, after they went to war, realising that they'd need to crush Germany or just face Himmler in charge if they simply killed Hitler. Easier to spear the hydra, rather than cutting off its heads.

That being said, I still don't think this will achieve much in the long term.

 

[davin]

I think the biggest thing it'll do is just that, to the public eye, it will look like progress is being made. Also may help Sunnis consider working with Iraq, since one of the threats if they worked with the rest of Iraq is now dead, even if the organisation he was running is still present.

 

[AntiHyper]

"Zarqawi was apparently injured at first ... The Americans found him. They handed him over to the Iraqis and he later died of his injuries".

Yeh sure *wink wink* must've been bashed to death.

 

[xeuyrawp]

I think the biggest thing it'll do is just that, to the public eye, it will look like progress is being made. Also may help Sunnis consider working with Iraq, since one of the threats if they worked with the rest of Iraq is now dead, even if the organisation he was running is still present.

Symbolic rather than instrumental? That's a valid point.

Yeh sure *wink wink* must've been bashed to death.

That's what I thought, as well. It reminded me of Saddam's capture - the frail old man certainly must have put up a fight in order to get a black eye, broken nose, etc, when he was captured!

 

[_dhj_]

I would say that the death is a propaganda victory for western governments at home. To be honest I don't see that as a good thing (however bad it may sound).

 

[davin]

so if you don't see it as a good thing, how do you see it? would you feel it would be better were he still alive?

 

[_dhj_]

so if you don't see it as a good thing, how do you see it? would you feel it would be better were he still alive?

I don't know. But to me, propaganda victory for western governments in the war against terror => populations more united under governments => easier to pass anti-terrorism legislation compromise civil liberties => easier to justify future involvement in conflicts => more war.

these are the disadvantages in the long run. obviously the short term benefit is the elimination of a terrorist, but who knows al-zarqawi might inspire the rise of new terrorists, since to them, he died 'heroically' in battle, not of old age or illness.

 

[davin]

i'd say that's definitly overstating the effects of al-zarqawi being killed. i don't think its being treated as that big of a deal, really. i mean, certainly not on par with saddam being captured.

 

[Sonic]

i'd say that's definitly overstating the effects of al-zarqawi being killed. i don't think its being treated as that big of a deal, really. i mean, certainly not on par with saddam being captured.

well thats true but look at it this way both haven't or aren't really gonna change the way this war is going they really are just pawns like GB and TB..

 

[davin]

i think you need to flesh out what you mean a bit more