# Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is DEAD



## scm77 (8 Jun 2006)

*Al-Qaida in Iraq leader is dead, prime minister announces
TERROR MASTERMIND WAS KILLED IN AIR RAID NORTH OF BAGHDAD*

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings, kidnappings and hostage beheadings in Iraq, has been killed in a U.S. air raid north of Baghdad, Iraq's prime minister said today.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, with the top U.S. general in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, said al-Zarqawi was killed Wednesday evening along with seven aides. *Casey said Zarqawi's body was identified by fingerprints and facial recognition.
*
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, says killing of Zarqawi marks a great success for Iraq and the global war on terror.

The Jordanian-born militant, who was believed to have personally beheaded at least two American hostages, became Iraq's most wanted militant, as notorious as Osama bin Laden, to whom he swore allegiance in 2004. The United States had put a $25 million bounty on Zarqawi, the same as bin Laden.

In the past year, he moved his campaign beyond Iraq's borders, claiming to have carried out a Nov. 9, 2005, triple suicide bombing against hotels in Amman, Jordan, that killed 60 people, as well as other attacks in Jordan and even a rocket attack from Lebanon into northern Israel.

U.S. forces and their allies came close to capturing Zarqawi several times since his campaign began in mid-2003.

His closest brush may have come in late 2004. Deputy Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Hussein Kamal said Iraqi security forces caught Zarqawi near the insurgent stronghold of Al-Fallujah but then released him because they didn't realize who he was.

In May 2005, Web statements by his group said Zarqawi had been wounded in fighting with Americans and was being treated in a hospital abroad -- raising speculation over a successor among his lieutenants. But days later, a statement said Zarqawi was fine and had returned to Iraq. There was never any independent confirmation of the reports of his wounding.

U.S. forces believe they just missed capturing Zarqawi in a Feb. 20, 2005, raid in which troops closed in on his vehicle west of Baghdad near the Euphrates River. His driver and another associate were captured and Zarqawi's computer was seized along with pistols and ammunition.

U.S. troops twice launched massive invasions of Al-Fallujah, the stronghold used by Al-Qaida in Iraq fighters and other insurgents west of Baghdad. An April 2004 offensive left the city still in insurgent hands, but the October 2004 assault wrested it from them. However, Zarqawi -- if he was in the city -- escaped.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/14768265.htm

Another article here.
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Enjoy your virgins you piece of shit!


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## scm77 (8 Jun 2006)

Some pictures.



















> Baghdad, IRAQ: An Iraqi woman shares Iraqi soldiers their joy minutes after hearing Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announcing 08 June 2006 the death of al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Nuri said Zarqawi "has been eliminated," in a combined US-Iraqi raid north of the restive city of Baquba, southeast of Baghdad. AFP PHOTO/ALL AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty Images)


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## Infanteer (8 Jun 2006)

Good riddance.   :cheers:

It shall be interesting to see how this plays out; obviously, it isn't going to do much, as the insurgency is in full swing now, but I am curious of what the effect of losing the figurehead of jihad will do.  Should give us an indication of what will happen when we bag Osama and Co.


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## pte. Massecar (8 Jun 2006)

On CNN right now. Zarqawi was killed by percision US airstrikes. Not much more information available. Sorry no link. I am watching it on TV and Im in a hurry.


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## Scoobie Newbie (8 Jun 2006)

Although  I doubt it will make much difference he was one rat bastard and got what was coming to him.  I hope all his virgins are fat and toothless.


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## CdnArtyWife (8 Jun 2006)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1658906.htm



> Terrorism in Iraq 'not over' despite Zarqawi death
> By Middle East correspondent Matt Brown and wires
> 
> US President George W Bush says American special forces "delivered justice" to Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, by killing him in an air strike.
> ...


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## paracowboy (8 Jun 2006)

he'll be missed.

Oh, Wait! He wasn't!


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## George Wallace (8 Jun 2006)

Neither were several of his 'Lieutenants'.   ;D

Let's hope there isn't a 'hydra' under that layer.


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## tomahawk6 (8 Jun 2006)

Kudos to TF 145. I think we will learn that much of the top leadership died along with Zarqawi.


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## Cdn Blackshirt (8 Jun 2006)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Kudos to TF 145. I think we will learn that much of the top leadership died along with Zarqawi.



Apparently, the hunting team had intentionally been leaving Zarqawi's Lieutenants free to move around in order to follow them in the hopes of finding their primary target.  Once Zarqawi was confirmed killed they executed 17 raids within a couple of hours to round up "the second tier".



Matthew.


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## Kat Stevens (8 Jun 2006)

I hope they tied him by the ankles and dragged him 5 times around the walls of the city.  Maybe burying him in a pig skin?


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## vonGarvin (8 Jun 2006)

Score +1 for the good guys!


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> I hope they tied him by the ankles and dragged him 5 times around the walls of the city.  Maybe burying him in a pig skin?



Not this again.  I hope they buried what was left of him according to his faith. The cycle of rage has to end somewhere. 

What sets apart a professional soldier from a maniacal murderer?

Congratulations to the US troops and their allies who helped bring some closure to the families of al-Zarqawi's many victims.


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## enfield (8 Jun 2006)

This is great news, but I have to agree with Infanteer that it probably won't change much. 

However, maybe this will give the Iraqi Government a little bit of breathing room and allow it to get on its feet.


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## Hot Lips (8 Jun 2006)

http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060608/abu_musab_060608

This is all over the news on television this morning as well.

HL


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

Photos of the body are up at CNN.


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## Gunnar (8 Jun 2006)

Apparently they acted on information provided by the locals.  What I want to hear next is that the 25 mil US bounty was paid promptly and correctly.


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

For those inclined, the cnn website has photos of the body on display.


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## wookie11 (8 Jun 2006)

Finally something Bush can brag about for a month or so..


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## tomahawk6 (8 Jun 2006)

Everyone who wants to see success in Iraq can brag about it. Those that dont won't. :skull:


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## Old Guy (8 Jun 2006)

I'm not going to brag about it, but Al-Z's death is a postitive development.  Although, perhaps of more importance in the long run:

1.  Local people aided in fingering Z-man.
2.  Related raids have generated a substantial amount of intelligence, some of which is probably being acted on now.
3.  Regardless of the MSM spin, Z's recent efforts, especially on video tape, made him look like a fool and his dead body is a powerful deterrent to would-be martyrs.

We'll see how it all plays out.    

Jim


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## xenobard (8 Jun 2006)

This development in Iraq and the recent arrest of terror suspects in Toronto and London together have given a lot of people hope that this war on terror can in fact be won.

 domestic security and coalition forces


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

Old Guy said:
			
		

> 3.  Regardless of the MSM spin, Z's recent efforts, especially on video tape, made him look like a fool and his dead body is a powerful deterrent to would-be martyrs.



Mostly agree with your post, but this sentence is a bit odd. Isn't the desired end-state of a "would be martyr" death? How would the spectre of death be a deterrent then, if that is the goal they are striving for?


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## Bruce Monkhouse (8 Jun 2006)

Because thats the goal they want/sell to their peons,...not themselves.


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## Colin Parkinson (8 Jun 2006)

Glad the murdering F*** is dead, along with his buddies (to bad about the kid) Plus the 17 raids shortly after is all icing on a yummy cake!


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## Kirkhill (8 Jun 2006)

Let's put it this way, if Zarqawi had craved martyrdom I am sure he had many opportunities to fulfil that wish.

I suppose the fact that he delayed his martyrdom by all means possible demonstrated his selfless willingness to sacrifice his wishes for the cause and allow others to precede him into paradise.

Reminds me of Boris and Natasha on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.  Poor old Boris has been blown up again and Natasha glides out of the room with "I'm too important to be captured".


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

Kirkhill said:
			
		

> Let's put it this way, if Zarqawi had craved martyrdom I am sure he had many opportunities to fulfil that wish.
> 
> I suppose the fact that he delayed his martyrdom by all means possible demonstrated his selfless willingness to sacrifice his wishes for the cause and allow others to precede him into paradise.
> 
> Reminds me of Boris and Natasha on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.  Poor old Boris has been blown up again and Natasha glides out of the room with "I'm too important to be captured".



Not being in Al Qaeda, I'm not sure which cartoon portrayal of him is most accurate.  I'm just saying, if his death is being seen as a deterrent to those wishing to also die for the cause, I'm not sure how. Rational thought doesn't seem to be part of their thought process.  I hope the real advantage here is that the organization lost one of its key organizing forces and leaders. Given his handling of the M249 I think we know he is not one of the small arms instructors.  

I mean, think of what it would mean to the average reserve unit here to lose the RSS staff, the CO and the RSM. mmmm...well, that's a bad example, I'm sure the CSMs and OCs would step up quite well in most units. Let's hope Al Qaeda is less well organized than we are then.

But if we are banking on our enemies to be girly babies and run screaming at the sight of a dead body, I suspect that may be wishful thinking. Hopefully their reaction is less visceral - and that their CSMs and OCs maybe stop to consider their diminished prospects of success and our own relentlessness.  But we probably don't have to be in AQ ourselves to realize they don't think that way.

Maybe George was right about Al-Jazeera's broadcast yesterday - think the two are related? The US kilsl one of their main bad dudes in Iraq, they post some crap about capturing our boys if Afghanistan before the word spreads?

Wait and see, huh.


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## 17thRecceSgt (8 Jun 2006)

video of the bombing is avail on CNN now as well...

Good riddance you SOB


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## Old Guy (8 Jun 2006)

Michael,

The statement is based on my conclusion of what pushes many (certainly not all) would-be martyrs down the path to their own death.  Suicide bombers are apparently motivated through intense indoctrination right up to the time they set out on their one-way missions.  To me, these indoctrination sessions most resemble intense brain-washing sessions.  One thing they do not seem to include are gruesome pictures of already martyred bombers.

I suspect the fumbling-weapon video of Al-Z and the pic of his riddled body will dissuade some candidate members of Al Queda and other such terrorist groups.  

Naturally, I could be completely off base here.  That's not an unusual situation for me.

Jim


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## Scoobie Newbie (8 Jun 2006)

BUT it is unlikely we will see his riddled body.


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

Old Guy said:
			
		

> Michael,
> 
> The statement is based on my conclusion of what pushes many (certainly not all) would-be martyrs down the path to their own death.  Suicide bombers are apparently motivated through intense indoctrination right up to the time they set out on their one-way missions.  To me, these indoctrination sessions most resemble intense brain-washing sessions.  One thing they do not seem to include are gruesome pictures of already martyred bombers.
> 
> ...



Well, I think we see eye-to-eye on our hope that this particular bad dude was in fact someone whose organizational abilities and leadership will be sorely missed.


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## tamouh (8 Jun 2006)

I enjoyed the response of the father of Nicholas Berg. His son waskilled in Iraq suppousdly by Al-Zarqawi group. Though I personally don't think Al-Zarqawi's death will not make or break things, it is a sign of relief for those who wanted him dead in the first place:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/08/berg.interview/index.html


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

tamouh said:
			
		

> I enjoyed the response of the father of Nicholas Berg. His son was killed in Iraq suppousdly by Al-Zarqawi group.



Possibly by Al-Zarqawi personally. Berg's father's response was the perfect example of a decent Christian response. Kudos to him.


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## tomahawk6 (8 Jun 2006)

Berg's father is a member of ANSWER, a socialist/communist organization. To those folks Bush and the US are far worse than any dictator. I have no time for people like this.


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## Teddy Ruxpin (8 Jun 2006)

Michael Dorosh said:
			
		

> Possibly by Al-Zarqawi personally. Berg's father's response was the perfect example of a decent Christian response. Kudos to him.



Oh, did you carefully read what he had to say?



> Yes, well, I don't believe that scenario, because every time news of new atrocities committed by Americans in Iraq becomes public, more and more of the everyday Iraqi people who tried to hold out, who tried to be peaceful people lose it and join -- what we call the insurgency, and *what I call the resistance*...





> I'm not saying Saddam Hussein was a good man, but he's no worse than George Bush.



Very Christian indeed.  Perhaps he should hook up with the Christian Peacemakers...they seem to be of the same mind.


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## Michael Dorosh (8 Jun 2006)

Teddy Ruxpin said:
			
		

> Oh, did you carefully read what he had to say?
> 
> Very Christian indeed.  Perhaps he should hook up with the Christian Peacemakers...they seem to be of the same mind.



He was quoted at the battlefront board; I only read the following:

BERG: Well, you shouldn't be surprised, because I have never indicated anything but forgiveness and peace in any interview on the air.

O'BRIEN: No, no. And we have spoken before, and I'm well aware of that. But at some point, one would think, is there a moment when you say, 'I'm glad he's dead, the man who killed my son'?

BERG: No. How can a human being be glad that another human being is dead? 

And a poster added: "He is certainly anti-Bush and anti-Iraq war. But I dont see him shedding any tears. I just see a man who is true to what he believes, and taking no joy in the death of another human being." 

Out of context, apparently. Either way, the answer to your question is "no" I didn't read what he said.


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## Kat Stevens (8 Jun 2006)

"Not this again.  I hope they buried what was left of him according to his faith. The cycle of rage has to end somewhere."


Ah yes very thoughtless of me.  In future I must ask myself "what would Micheal Dorosh do?" before posting....  Mea culpa.


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## Infanteer (8 Jun 2006)

Did you guys get the commemorative shirt?


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## Scoobie Newbie (8 Jun 2006)

I'll see that and raise it by saying I wouldn't feel bad if he was thrown in a pen full of hungrey pigs al a Snatch (the movie).


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## old medic (8 Jun 2006)

He's dead.  Period.
End of Thread.
It will not re-open.


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