Will Collier has a very interesting rumor up:
I’m hearing quite a bit of chatter through the USAF contractor grapevine that Zarqawi is dead. The only reason I mention it here is, the rumor is apparently rampant at Hurlburt AFB Field, home of the Air Force Special Ops guys, some of whom would be in a position to know such things.
That would be a nice Memorial Day present.
Stormy70
I hope that he suffered a slow, painful, ugly death. This would be great for Memorial Day weekend. By the way, thanks for your service, John.
John Cole
Don’t thank me, I haven’t done anything in the military for several years, and I never had to go through what our guys and gals are going through now.
Stormy70
Doesn’t matter. Not my place to judge another’s military service as to it’s worth. Love our guys, and appreciate what they are doing for us, and I will raise a beer to them this weekend.
Brad R.
Yeah, what Stormy said- thanks :-)
stickler
Okay, let’s say Zarqawi is dead. I hope he is.
So what? Does the insurgency lose a critical leader? Or is he a convenient boogeyman like Saddam’s sons were?
Here’s how we test this theory, should his death become public: Do fewer Americans die next week?
Data, not fantasy.
ppgaz
But remember, stickler … the more they fight, the more they are losing.
Our president said so.
Far North
Great. I hope Zarcowie is dead. Now how ’bout we kill the brainchild of 9/11. You might remember his name. I think it’s Osama bin Laden. This guy is still alive, more that 3 1/2 years after that terrible act.
Go on, George W Bush. I dare you to utter the name “Osama bin Laden”.
Way to keep your eye on the ball, conservatives.
Far North
One more question: Is that the same Zarqawi that we targeted, that was in our sights, that the military was prepared to take out BEFORE the start of the Iraq war?
Is that same Zarqawi that President Bush decided that we wouldn’t “take out” because it just might weaken our case for war against Iraq?
By golly, I think it is. This is the same guy that we could have taken out 3 different times. But that would have interferred with Bush’s war plans.
Damn, even when we get a bad guy we’re reminded of the miserable, cynical behavior of Bush and company.
Three times, conservatives. That’s how many times we could have taken him out BEFORE the start of the Iraq war.
Three times.
BadTux
The rumor I’ve heard is that Zarqawi has been dead since the first day of the war, and that the pronouncements in his name are being made by CIA psy-ops in order to create the impression that the Iraqi insurgency is run by foreigners rather than by Iraqis.
Hey, it’s just as credible as any other rumor. (I.e., none).
Until we have any confirmation either way, I’m putting this in the “ho hum” category…
— Badtux the Rumored Penguin
p.lukasiak
y’know, I wish I could believe anything I read about the government’s efforts against the insurgency in Iraq. But realistically, you can’t.
Take the story of the capture of Zarqawi’s laptop. Now, if I actually had gotten hold of that laptop and it had anything of value in it, the last thing I’d do is publicize that fact — instead, I’d keep it a secret while I exploited the information in it to round up insurgents/terrorists.
Publicizing the story only makes sense if it isn’t true — its a great way to make the insurgents paranoid, go underground (again), etc. etc. because the insurgents have no way of knowing who/what was compromised.
I’m left trying to figure out if our people are stupid enough to warn the insurgents that they have been compromised, or smart people telling lies to sow confusion within the enemy ranks.
Kimmitt
Now, if I actually had gotten hold of that laptop and it had anything of value in it, the last thing I’d do is publicize that fact — instead, I’d keep it a secret while I exploited the information in it to round up insurgents/terrorists.
One thing you have to understand — the Bushies are politically very astute but are, in general, pretty stupid.
BadTux
Indeed. As much as I detested the Clintonistas (I spent virtually their entire term of office fighting them over computer export policy — all we were doing by restricting computer exports after the fall of the Berlin Wall was giving the Japanese and Europeans a leg up on the Chinese market), at least they were *COMPETENT*. Which, alas, cannot be said for the Bushies.