Breaking News: Abu Musab Killed In Iraq ...

[Sava]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat

His agenda was clear from the advisors he chose and the places in his administration in which he put them. If the Neo-con agenda wasn't Bush's, why did he pack so many of them into critical spots in the defense and national security functions in his administration?

One theory of mine... the elder Bush and Clinton are all buddy buddy now... well, the story is that Clinton was warning Dubya about terrorism as Clinton was leaving. Supposedly, Clinton wasn't too hot about Saddam either. Perhaps Clinton reached out to Bush, Sr when Dubya didn't listen to Clinton's warnings. After all, Bush Sr. is the only former President to receive daily CIA briefings (as is his privilage as a former president). I think daddy, along with Cheney and a few others... maybe along with James Baker, family advisor, former secretary of state... told junior about a few people he should pick for some key positions... just in case.

I doubt they were hell-bent to go into Iraq from the get go. It's hard to plan for a war from day one of a presidency. You are making the assumption that Bush has the ability to think ten steps ahead. I don't think he's that smart. Just look at his track record.

And if they were planning to go into Iraq, why was everything thrown together so last minute? Rumsfeld making excuses like, "you fight a war with what you've got..." You'd think they'd be better prepared if they were planning to go to war.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Geronimo


What an odd metaphor.

I suggested that disrupting the leadership of the insurgents might have good synergy with a withdrawl of the foreign occupiers to help achieve peace and stability in Iraq and you respond with this weird metaphor?

It's quite an intuitive metaphor to reply with. If you're having difficulty with it, I will leave it for one of the other posters to explain...

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Adam Smith
NPR reported this morning that the local Iraqi intel came from insurgents, which might be expected re a specific time / place of apparent staff meeting. If true, this raises questions:
Was US used as muscle in internal insurgency dispute?
Was a-Z eliminated because he was too nutso, thus harming goals of Iraqi insurgents?
If there was a split, are the remaining insurgents more or less effective? More or less willing to negotiate?
Are there other internal divisions that could potentially be exploited?

edit: format

IIRC, it was also from Iraqi insurgents who rose fairly high up in al Zarqawi's organization.

In a way, it reminds me of the assassination of Massoud before the Taleban launched their last offensive against the NA.

Should be interesting to see what falls out from this.

[Winston]

Well, good riddance.

Paul Bigley, brother of Ken Bigley, the Briton who was beheaded before the cameras by Zarqawi personally in 2004:

This man was an animal, and he deserved everything he got. May he rot up in Hell.

The world has gotten rid of a very evil person. So he thinks he's going to Heaven? I'm convinced he is already in Hell.

(According to Danish media reports; re-translated by me.)

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Donegeal
Great post Sava (er post #56, not 67. I haven't read that one yet...), but for one thing...

If the US left now, anarchy would reign and civil war killing probably upwards of a million people would die (yes, I am pulling numbers out of my ass, and a million was a big one the was rather uncomfortable). The US should stay until a government capable of maintaining order is in place. The bad news about that is that there was one there to begin with. The bad news of that bad news is that it was Saddam...

Maybe, maybe not. The US doesn't have to leave all at once. just time a gradual withdrawl to coincide with disruption of the leadership of the insurgency. It might work it might fail, but staying indefinately will certainly fail. The iraqis are sick of being occupied and that is what maintains the insurgency more than anything.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison


It's quite an intuitive metaphor to reply with. If you're having difficulty with it, I will leave it for one of the other posters to explain...

not really. it would be more like a good metaphor for describing the outcome of a policy of random aerial bombardment of areas of iraq where insurgents have struck.

Maybe a better analogy would be throwing a blanket over the wasps nest and running like hell. But honestly I don't think wasp nest analogies are at all useful for selecting the best strategy for ending the occupation of iraq.

[Provost Harrison]

Well I wasn't suggesting any strategy, just being facetious

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Looks like this was a bigger operation than simply gunning for Zarqawi.

General Caldwell said it took many weeks of painstaking exploitation of intelligence, until Wednesday night they had "definitive, unquestionable" knowledge of Mr. Zarqawi's location for the first time. He said after Mr. Zarqawi was killed forces went after other targets in 17 simultaneous raids in Baghdad and on the outskirts, obtaining a "treasure trove" of information.

NYT coverage of Zarqawi death

[Datajack Franit]

Enjoy your 70 virgins

[Nostromo]

I hope he gets the raisins. "What? All this for ****ing raisins?" I'm sure Datajack would prefer the raisins, though

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
Enjoy your 70 virgins

By now all the pretty ones are taken. He'll get ones with moustaches & beards. But, hey, at least they're virgins, right?

[Provost Harrison]

Allah never specified gender now, did he? They could be getting 70 anorak-clad nerds

[Provost Harrison]

And Russell Grant thrown in for the lucky suicide bomber

[Zkribbler]

Zarqawi has an ow-ie.