SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Al-Zarqawi's Death Doesn't Slow War
Jun 16, 2006
President Bush says the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi offers an opportunity for Iraq's new government to "turn the tide in this struggle."
But, in contrast to his triumphal claims in 2003 about "mission accomplished," Bush has no illusions that the war is over.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer -- the successor to the Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi -- already has warned that his predecessor left "lions behind" him to carry on the fight.
After al-Zarqawi's death from a June 7 airstrike north of Baghdad, Bush showed he has become aware that his credibility about victory claims is almost nonexistent. The president has even said future presidents will have to deal with Iraq.
The giddy headlines about the death of al-Zarqawi have been mired in other reports that do not reflect well on the United States, such as the alleged Marine massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha and the three detainee suicides at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Bush, who made a surprise quickie trip to Iraq Tuesday, said the "difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues," and he expects no let up in the violence.
He also covered his tracks by repeating that the death of al-Zarqawi was "not going to end the war."
At the same time, Bush got a jolt of good news that there is an improvement in public confidence that the war is winnable, according to a USA Today-Gallup poll.
The new poll said 48 percent now believe the United States probably or definitely will win the war, compared with 39 percent in April.
According to the survey, 47 percent of those polled believe things are going well in Iraq, a boost from 38 percent in March.
There is no doubt that the U.S. military also is buoyed by the death of the terrorist leader and has embarked on an aggressive drive against insurgents. U.S. soldiers have been raining bombs on Iraqis, raiding 140 sites, and killing 32 people in the resistance, including a baby boy and a 4-year-old boy.
Bush also has made some diplomatic efforts to bolster support for the war.
He provided Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen with the rare hospitality of Camp David last week. Rasmussen told reporters he "shares the same ideology" with Bush about liberty, freedom and democracy.
But Rasmussen demonstrated that friendship goes only so far when he took a slap at alleged human rights abuses by U.S. forces.
"When unacceptable events happen in Abu Ghraib (the notorious prison near Baghdad)," Rasmussen said "and when allegations are made about horrific events in Haditha, it is not only a tragedy for the victims, it is damaging to our own efforts and an offense to our very own values."
There also have been many calls in the international community to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison.
The three prisoners who hanged themselves in their cells at Guantanamo used sheets and clothing for nooses. All left suicide notes in Arabic.
Speaking of the suicides, Rear Adm. Harry Harris Jr. commander at Guantanamo was quoted in The New York Times as callously saying: "They are smart, they are creative, they are committed. They have no regard for life, either ours or their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."
Colleen Graffy, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, matched Harris, saying: "Taking their own life was not necessary, but it was a good PR move."
White House press secretary Tony Snow said the president has expressed "serious concern" over the suicide deaths.
To prove it, Bush should start by abiding by the international law on humane treatment of prisoners.
That way the United States will be able to shine in the triumph over al-Zarqawi. And Bush will have learned the wisdom of Winston Churchill's dictum: "In victory, magnanimity."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas was an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and columnist. She worked for the United Press International (UPI) for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau chief. She was an opinion columnist for Hearst Newspapers from 2000 to 2010, writing on national affairs and the White House. Among other books, she was the author of "Front Row at The White House: My Life and Times" (2000) and "Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public" (2007). Helen passed away on July 20, 2013.
President Bush says the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi offers an opportunity for Iraq's new government to "turn the tide in this struggle."
But, in contrast to his triumphal claims in 2003 about "mission accomplished," Bush has no illusions that the war is over.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer -- the successor to the Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi -- already has warned that his predecessor left "lions behind" him to carry on the fight.
After al-Zarqawi's death from a June 7 airstrike north of Baghdad, Bush showed he has become aware that his credibility about victory claims is almost nonexistent. The president has even said future presidents will have to deal with Iraq.
The giddy headlines about the death of al-Zarqawi have been mired in other reports that do not reflect well on the United States, such as the alleged Marine massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha and the three detainee suicides at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Bush, who made a surprise quickie trip to Iraq Tuesday, said the "difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues," and he expects no let up in the violence.
He also covered his tracks by repeating that the death of al-Zarqawi was "not going to end the war."
At the same time, Bush got a jolt of good news that there is an improvement in public confidence that the war is winnable, according to a USA Today-Gallup poll.
The new poll said 48 percent now believe the United States probably or definitely will win the war, compared with 39 percent in April.
According to the survey, 47 percent of those polled believe things are going well in Iraq, a boost from 38 percent in March.
There is no doubt that the U.S. military also is buoyed by the death of the terrorist leader and has embarked on an aggressive drive against insurgents. U.S. soldiers have been raining bombs on Iraqis, raiding 140 sites, and killing 32 people in the resistance, including a baby boy and a 4-year-old boy.
Bush also has made some diplomatic efforts to bolster support for the war.
He provided Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen with the rare hospitality of Camp David last week. Rasmussen told reporters he "shares the same ideology" with Bush about liberty, freedom and democracy.
But Rasmussen demonstrated that friendship goes only so far when he took a slap at alleged human rights abuses by U.S. forces.
"When unacceptable events happen in Abu Ghraib (the notorious prison near Baghdad)," Rasmussen said "and when allegations are made about horrific events in Haditha, it is not only a tragedy for the victims, it is damaging to our own efforts and an offense to our very own values."
There also have been many calls in the international community to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison.
The three prisoners who hanged themselves in their cells at Guantanamo used sheets and clothing for nooses. All left suicide notes in Arabic.
Speaking of the suicides, Rear Adm. Harry Harris Jr. commander at Guantanamo was quoted in The New York Times as callously saying: "They are smart, they are creative, they are committed. They have no regard for life, either ours or their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."
Colleen Graffy, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, matched Harris, saying: "Taking their own life was not necessary, but it was a good PR move."
White House press secretary Tony Snow said the president has expressed "serious concern" over the suicide deaths.
To prove it, Bush should start by abiding by the international law on humane treatment of prisoners.
That way the United States will be able to shine in the triumph over al-Zarqawi. And Bush will have learned the wisdom of Winston Churchill's dictum: "In victory, magnanimity."
Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas was an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and columnist. She worked for the United Press International (UPI) for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau chief. She was an opinion columnist for Hearst Newspapers from 2000 to 2010, writing on national affairs and the White House. Among other books, she was the author of "Front Row at The White House: My Life and Times" (2000) and "Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public" (2007). Helen passed away on July 20, 2013.
President Bush says the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi offers an opportunity for Iraq's new government to "turn the tide in this struggle."
But, in contrast to his triumphal claims in 2003 about "mission accomplished," Bush has no illusions that the war is over.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer -- the successor to the Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi -- already has warned that his predecessor left "lions behind" him to carry on the fight.
After al-Zarqawi's death from a June 7 airstrike north of Baghdad, Bush showed he has become aware that his credibility about victory claims is almost nonexistent. The president has even said future presidents will have to deal with Iraq.
The giddy headlines about the death of al-Zarqawi have been mired in other reports that do not reflect well on the United States, such as the alleged Marine massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha and the three detainee suicides at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Bush, who made a surprise quickie trip to Iraq Tuesday, said the "difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues," and he expects no let up in the violence.
He also covered his tracks by repeating that the death of al-Zarqawi was "not going to end the war."
At the same time, Bush got a jolt of good news that there is an improvement in public confidence that the war is winnable, according to a USA Today-Gallup poll.
The new poll said 48 percent now believe the United States probably or definitely will win the war, compared with 39 percent in April.
According to the survey, 47 percent of those polled believe things are going well in Iraq, a boost from 38 percent in March.
There is no doubt that the U.S. military also is buoyed by the death of the terrorist leader and has embarked on an aggressive drive against insurgents. U.S. soldiers have been raining bombs on Iraqis, raiding 140 sites, and killing 32 people in the resistance, including a baby boy and a 4-year-old boy.
Bush also has made some diplomatic efforts to bolster support for the war.
He provided Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen with the rare hospitality of Camp David last week. Rasmussen told reporters he "shares the same ideology" with Bush about liberty, freedom and democracy.
But Rasmussen demonstrated that friendship goes only so far when he took a slap at alleged human rights abuses by U.S. forces.
"When unacceptable events happen in Abu Ghraib (the notorious prison near Baghdad)," Rasmussen said "and when allegations are made about horrific events in Haditha, it is not only a tragedy for the victims, it is damaging to our own efforts and an offense to our very own values."
There also have been many calls in the international community to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison.
The three prisoners who hanged themselves in their cells at Guantanamo used sheets and clothing for nooses. All left suicide notes in Arabic.
Speaking of the suicides, Rear Adm. Harry Harris Jr. commander at Guantanamo was quoted in The New York Times as callously saying: "They are smart, they are creative, they are committed. They have no regard for life, either ours or their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."
Colleen Graffy, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, matched Harris, saying: "Taking their own life was not necessary, but it was a good PR move."
White House press secretary Tony Snow said the president has expressed "serious concern" over the suicide deaths.
To prove it, Bush should start by abiding by the international law on humane treatment of prisoners.
That way the United States will be able to shine in the triumph over al-Zarqawi. And Bush will have learned the wisdom of Winston Churchill's dictum: "In victory, magnanimity."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.