Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Cost of the War in Iraq
(JavaScript Error)
Friday, June 09, 2006
Emmm ... Good
William Arkin drinks the kool-aid.In his piece today, Arkin trumpets the success of intelligence operations in Iraq in the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as evidence of progress in stabilizing Iraq. Indeed, intelligence operations were at work in the operations and the job was completed.
What I think Arkin is missing is the information source and motivation. Given the recent history of strife between Zarqawi and the Sunni insurgents, it seems to me that he was likely "given up" by those who wanted him gone. In other words, as in the Chalabi situation, the United States military was once again used to settle scores in the civil war.
I submit that if I'm correct, the Zarqawi operation is proof of further deterioration in the situation, not improvement. No, I'm not just being the eternal pessimist and Bush hater. Rather I'm noting that an occupying force can never been a winner in an insurgency/civil war. The best we can hope for is that our interests coincide at some time with the interests of someone. But we also know that those narrow parallel interests will be fleeting when the goal is reached. Thus the Sunni's are still not our friends, although they likely used us to get rid of a thorn in their butts.
2 Comments:
About Me
- Name: Greyhair
- Location: Wine Country, California
I'm a very lucky person with every allergy known to man but still happy to be enjoying a wonderful life living in the best place in the world!
Blogroll
The Big PictureBillmon
Blah3.com
Born at the Crest of Empire
Eric Alterman
Eschaton
FireDogLake
Feingold's Blog
Dan Froomkin
The Huffington Post
Hullabaloo
The Illustrated Daily Scribble
Jesus General
Juan Cole
Matilda's Advice and Rants
Mia Culpa
MsJan Quilts
Needlenose
The Oil Drum
Political Animal
Political Wire
Spooks of the Ozarks
Talk About Corruption
TalkLeft
Think Progress
War and Peace
The Washington Note
Other Resources
]^23BE4D2A]^23807975]^23A1312B](](],]]]black],]1]1]3]2]1]1]1]1]1]1]1]1],](](]^23B4A99D])])]Bending^20the^20Third^20Rail]Because^20We^20Can](],](],](]black](](](]^23666](](](]^2306000C](](](],]50]5],](](]^23D1C0B9])])]^23B69789]1]5],](](]^23C5C5CB])])]^23919198]^23B09696])])]^23494980]26]black]black],](](]^23333](],](]^23333]^23132079]^23EA3312],](](]^23D5BEB4])])],](](]^23EDEDED])])],](](]^23CCC])])],](]black]^23666]15]3]25]20]black],](](],](],](](],](]black](](](],](](](],]black](](](],](](]^23333](](](](](],]^2336F]^23333](],](]Written^20at^20^24TIME^20by^20^24AUTH.]20],](](]black])])]^23ACACBD])])]^237C7C80]30]black]black],](](]^23333333](],](]^23333]^23132079]^23EA3312]]]]^24PROFILE]]]Recent^20Posts]]]^24RECENT]^20]]Blog^20We^20Like]]]Horm])blog.horm.org]Hallucinations^20Of^20Reabsorbed^20Mind]Phorm])p.horm.org]Another^20Phormation]^20]]]Other^20Resources]]]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_psycho.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22PsycHo^3A^20Free^20Template^20Generator^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E]^24PSYCHO]PsycHo^3A^20Free^20Template^20Generator]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_firefox.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22Get^20FireFox^21^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E])www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/]Get^20Firefox^21]]]]Home]^24HOME]First^20Page]Other^20Links^20We^20Like]]]Psychic^20Template^20Generator])psyc.horm.org]]]]]^20]^24CUSTOM]]Archive]]]^24ARCHIVE]^20]^26^2361470^3BPsycHo}){kind=small}
Today, a plaque was placed at the site of Hitler's Berlin bunker -- and his death -- by German historians. Some people complained that neo-Nazis might now use the site as a shrine to one of the great criminals of all times. More than 60 years later, we worry about Hitler's symbolism.
Ironically, today we also hold the corpse of Musab al-Zarqawi. Presuming we will not desecrate him any further than dropping two 500-pound bombs on him, how does one dispose of the body of terrorism's great symbols? If you give him back to his people his symbolism will transcend his mortal coil. If you toss him in a dumpster, it doesn't say much about who we are.
What should be done with a monster's corpse?
Plus there are reports out today that he was alive with the military go to him. Watch the rumors fly throughout the Arab world on that one....
I think you do the right thing. He's going to be marty'rd by those who supported him no matter what we do. If we do anything but the right thing culturally, he'll be matry'd to other's who don't necessarily support him.