NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=10381

If this is accurate, Zarqawi sounds like he's running out of guys. Maybe he's not to far from being run to ground, especially since they keep finding his men.

Sign of al Qaeda Desperation
Zarqawi Sends Top Aide to Die

by Richard Miniter
Posted Nov 18, 2005

Dead men tell no tales, but luckily for intelligence analysts, live women do.

Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi was not able to detonate her bomb at the wedding party and fled with the guests as her husband exploded himself. Now, she is in the custody of the GID, Jordan’s intelligence agency. By all accounts, the interrogation is going slowly. Still, enough information is emerging for us to draw some lessons for the triple bombings in Amman, Jordan, on November 9.

Mrs. al-Rishawi’s family history reveals just how effective the U.S. military has proven to be in eliminating insurgents. Jordanian intelligence has learned that three of her brothers were killed by coalition forces in Iraq. Her brother, Thamir al-Rashawi, a member al-Zarqawi’s inner circle, was killed in April 2004 in Fallujah, when a missile fired from a U.S. aircraft struck his pick-up truck. Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Marwan al-Mu’ashir described her brother, Thamir, as “the emir [commander] of the Al-Anbar region [of the Iraqi insurgency] in the Al-Qa’idah of Jihad Organization in the Land of Two Rivers. He was the right hand of Abu-Mus’ab al-Zarqawi.”

Her other two brothers, Ammar and Yassir, died in separate battles with U.S. forces in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005.

It can't be accurate. It implies the US is doing something good/right therefore it's Neo-con/Bushite/Nazi/etc. propaganda.

You americans are so obcessive!

How many attacks are there in Iraq per day? 10? 20? 100? Do you really think that Zarquawi can be planning all that, being devoided of modern communication and planning resources, while having a bounty of 25 millions on his head, while being the most wanted man in iraq? You aren't fighting one Al Zarquawi, you are fighting a de-centralized organization bent on terror. You can kill Al Zarquawi top aide, his number three, his number one, and kill zarquawi himself, that the bombings won't stop.

It can't be accurate. It implies the US is doing something good/right therefore it's Neo-con/Bushite/Nazi/etc. propaganda.
It doesn't imply that the US is doing something right if you sympathize with the insurgents.

It doesn't imply that the US is doing something right if you sympathize with the insurgents.

Clarification: 'right' as in 'effective' as in "getting it right".

You americans are so obcessive!

How many attacks are there in Iraq per day? 10? 20? 100? Do you really think that Zarquawi can be planning all that, being devoided of modern communication and planning resources, while having a bounty of 25 millions on his head, while being the most wanted man in iraq? You aren't fighting one Al Zarquawi, you are fighting a de-centralized organization bent on terror. You can kill Al Zarquawi top aide, his number three, his number one, and kill zarquawi himself, that the bombings won't stop.

And you suppose he would just stop if we left him alone?

And you suppose he would just stop if we left him alone?

No. Do you suppose you will have peace if you have him?

Grow up.

Screw off.

No. Do you suppose you will have peace if you have him?

No, but I'ld bet it would reduce the level of "insurgency".

No, but I'ld bet it would reduce the level of "insurgency".

For a while, most likely yes. But if you want a hero, you kill him. Zarqawi will die sooner or later, but in a sense, its already too late. For the average freak jihadi wannabe, he already has the aura of a Hero, if he dies, he will be a martyr to avenge. So what do you win?

Actually, it is more productive in a way, to let zarqawi live, as long has he keeps bombing innocent jordanians and iraquis. Makes him lose his "hero" aura.

For a while, most likely yes. But if you want a hero, you kill him. Zarqawi will die sooner or later, but in a sense, its already too late. For the average freak jihadi wannabe, he already has the aura of a Hero, if he dies, he will be a martyr to avenge. So what do you win?

Actually, it is more productive in a way, to let zarqawi live, as long has he keeps bombing innocent jordanians and iraquis. Makes him lose his "hero" aura.

I agree. If we do manage to get him, I say give him to the Jordanians for trial. Not only would it then be Muslims putting him up for justice but we (the US) get points for turning him over. Everybody wins.

No. Do you suppose you will have peace if you have him?
Here's the argument I'm making.

Here's my argument.

Terrorism is a monster, but luckily, it has only about a dozen heads. We may be able to cut them off, one by one.

And you ask, "Can't it grow new ones?"

And I'm sure it can, but look at it this way. It takes time. A terrorist is a fanatic. And a top terrorist is a skilled and clever fanatic. Most people are not fanatics (even in the Arab world); and most fanatics are neither skilled nor clever. If you eliminate one top terrorist, it may take another year or two for another to emerge. The old network goes to pieces in the meantime; it may take the new guy another year to rebuild it. While he's doing it, he has to show his hand. We may be able to identify him and eliminate him too before he does too much harm.

Meanwhile, you have saved many innocent lives. Isn't it worth it?

Now, look at your own hands. Look at your nails. Maybe it's time to cut them. Are you going to tell me, "Why bother? They'll only grow out again..."?

And one more argument:

Do you remember Margaret Hassan, the aid worker who was tortured and frightened on video, and then had her throat slashed open while her executioners tormenter her? She was trussed up like a chicken, and they murdered an innocent woman on al-Jazeera.

Now, you see the man who ordered them to do this to her. The man who gave them guns, money, instructions. You see him. There's a girl in downtown Baghdad, her legs blown off, sitting in cart - and this guy ordered his men to do it. He's sitting there drinking coffee, thinking about who to blow up next.

You're standing there, and you have a gun. You may tell me you don't care, you can't pull the trigger. I understand. I don't blame you. I mean it; I really don't. We shake hands, goodbye. I don't think less of you for that. It's very hard to shoot a man.

But don't tell me I can't do it.

And I'm sure it can, but look at it this way. It takes time. A terrorist is a fanatic. And a top terrorist is a skilled and clever fanatic. Most people are not fanatics (even in the Arab world); and most fanatics are neither skilled nor clever. If you eliminate one top terrorist, it may take another year or two for another to emerge. The old network goes to pieces in the meantime; it may take the new guy another year to rebuild it. While he's doing it, he has to show his hand. We may be able to identify him and eliminate him too before he does too much harm.

You know any soldier in Iraq? Well, im sure you do. Ask him this... when an IED blows off below his friends humvee, taking off their legs in some neighbourhood, and he goes there try to help around.. does he actually believe that the Iraqui's in the neighborhood didnt knew there was an IED there? You have no Intel on iraq. You have an absolutly devastating military might out there (i laugh my ass off seeing footage of insurgent attacks.. i'm not a soldier, but sometimes i'd want to join the US military just to wipe them out), but you have no intel, no nothing. Now, your intentions are very noble indeed (no, i am not being sarcastic), but your actions (the US actions that is) work against it. You alienate the world and the arab people (the ones that see IED's being buried, and that could give you intel over who and where the alzarquawi's are), while at the same time, you shake hands with the Saudis, that are not only worse than the taliban, but are also the fucks who give the most money to terrorists. Now, while you allow the Arab people to essentialy hate your guts (yes, they hate terrorists, but they hate you too), allow the money to flow to terrorist hands, allow them to have symbols (no one talks of bin laden nowadays), dude, you can kill all alzarqawi's you want, others will take their place.

(respectfully), I think that this is the difference between us two; We both want terrorists to die off, except for me, killing terrorists is alot more than putting a missile up their asses.