The first report, regarding any possible cover-up of the Haditha deaths, has been completed and is being reviewed. The LA Times gives a leaked summary:

The general charged with investigating whether Marines tried to cover up the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha has completed his report, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday.

Nothing in the report points to a "knowing cover-up" of the facts by the officers supervising the Marines involved in the November incident, the official said. Rather, he said, officers from the company level through the staff of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Baghdad failed to demand "a thorough explanation" of what happened in Haditha.

The man who compiled the report was profiled in the WaPo and sounds like a real soldier.

The 59-year-old general is seen as unlikely to bend to pressure to sway his conclusions, both by virtue of his character and because he plans to retire this year after nearly four decades in the Army. "He has unimpeachable integrity," said retired Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Lambert, a Special Forces officer who has known Bargewell for decades. "He has no constituency that could influence findings. Bargewell is his own man."

Bargewell is considered so unflinchingly candid that another officer suggested that military leaders "may be sorry they chose him" to lead the probe.

Overall, this is good news. We still need to wait for the report on whether the Marines did anything wrong. My gut feeling is that they will not be charged, but Rules of Engagement will be tightened.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 02:29 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 284 words, total size 2 kb.

You want results? How about this:
452 raids.
104 insurgents killed.
759 "anti-Iraq elements" captured.
28 weapons caches found.
A captured document: "a blueprint for trying to foment a war between the United States and Iran and also appears to show that the insurgency in Iraq is weakening." (Full text here.)

Summary? National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie called it "the beginning of the end of al-Qaida in Iraq." If we assume that the "anti-Iraq elements" are foreign Al Qaeda fighters, we have probably wiped out the foreign contingent and reduced the number of future attacks on civilians.

Overall, very good news.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 10:05 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 107 words, total size 1 kb.

Thanks to NZ at The Truth Laid Bear for the heads-up:

"Project Valour-IT provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse."

They are out of money, and need your help! Please donate here, and check out the blogs participating in this drive such as Blackfive, Castle Argghhh, and Mudville Gazette --- or find more on the TTLB tracking page for Valour-IT.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 11:12 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 126 words, total size 1 kb.

The sociopathic monster known as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has died. Many (understandably) rejoice his passing. Others (inexplicably) mourn it.

Mohammed at Iraq the Model lays out his feelings towards those who would mourn their "hero" Zarqawi:

It is totally unimaginable why someone would describe the head chopping, children murdering terrorist as a hero. It's disgusting and infuriating beyond words.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 09:18 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 295 words, total size 2 kb.

Funny, I don't remember him protesting any "dictatorships" back in the day:

THE chief judge in Saddam Hussein's trial barred the former Iraqi leader's half-brother and co-accused Barzan al-Tikriti from attending today's session after guards forced him out of court the day before.

"The court decided to continue keeping defendant Barzan away for his repeated violation of the order of the court," Chief Judge Raouf Abdel Rahman said as the trial resumed at a heavily-fortified courtroom in Baghdad.

Former intelligence chief Barzan, who like Saddam and six other defendants face charges of crimes against humanity, was forced out of court on Monday screaming "This is a dictatorship" after an argument with Mr Rahman.

Posted by: Kos_Irhabi at 04:00 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 132 words, total size 1 kb.

The Weekly Standard published a fantastic article by Michael Fumento on troops in Ramadi. He has now placed a copy on his own website, with the addition of links, photos and videos. You need to read it all to get the in-the-action flavor of the piece. Here are a few excerpts:

Ten days before I arrived, during the night of April 9, 1st Battalion suffered its worst casualties of the deployment in a mini-"Black Hawk Down" situation. An IED flipped a Humvee, killing the driver from D Company. An M-1 Abrams tank went to retrieve it. For good reason, Corregidor has a large complement of tanks and other armored vehicles. Unfortunately, another IED made a lucky strike on the tank, cutting the fuel line and setting it ablaze. The men inside scrambled to safety, but now things got really messy...

So the troops set up a perimeter and waited. As with the real downing of the Black Hawks in Somalia, the burning tank attracted bad guys from throughout the city. They kept pouring into the area to kill the infidels. But with their night-vision equipment and laser pointers, Americans own the night. The enemy came in droves and they died in droves. "The insurgents were so desperate to gain momentum against us that they were literally running into the streets to plant IEDs right in front of us or throwing them over walls," says Claburn. "It was purely amazing." By the time the rounds had stopped flying and the tank was recovered, 30 jihadists were confirmed dead. Disaster had been averted. But the price in blood was high. Two more soldiers from Headquarters Company had died when another IED ripped their Humvee apart. Later the engineers whose job it was to detect and remove IEDs came into Col. Clark's office, apologizing with tears in their eyes. "I told them you tried; you did your best; but you can't get all of them all the time," Clark said....

Right place at the right time indeed. I look where I had been standing exposed to the windows. About where my head had been there's a large pock mark in the opposite wall. The bullet might have drilled me had I remained there; I can't say. Then I see the window. There's a nice clean hole just where my upper right side was – where my body armor has absolutely no protection, much less the new side ceramic plates everybody in 1st Battalion wears. This puts me in a pensive mood. No Killionesque whoops. But there's little time to contemplate my mortality before the order comes to "exfil" for real and start trekking back to the pickup point at a good trot. All quiet on the OP Hotel front. Or so I think. But now it's going to get really bad.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 08:19 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
Post contains 493 words, total size 3 kb.

I posted it over at my old blog because I haven't figured out the blockquote feature on MovableType yet. Here is the summary:
"So...40% of the badass 2004 Class at Terrorism High are dead.
The friggin' Guardian says we are winning the War on Terror.
And there might be a simple explanation for Haditha.
Overall, a pretty great evening here in the deepest, darkest province."

Click the link.

Update: I can do blockquotes!

And, finally, the first real report of the Marines' versions of Haditha. The stories told by the Iraqis can almost fit into the Marine version, if you leave out the civilians begging for their lives and being shot execution style, that is.

Wuterich's version contradicts that of the Iraqis, who described a massacre of men, women and children after a bomb killed a Marine. Haditha residents have said that innocent civilians were executed, that some begged for their lives before being shot and that children were killed indiscriminately.

Wuterich told his attorney in initial interviews over nearly 12 hours last week that the shootings were the unfortunate result of a methodical sweep for enemies in a firefight. Two attorneys for other Marines involved in the incident said Wuterich's account is consistent with those they had heard from their clients.

And Wuterich's account of how it happened:

A corporal with the unit leaned over to Wuterich and said he saw the shots coming from a specific house, and after a discussion with the platoon leader, they decided to clear the house, according to Wuterich's account.
...
A four-man team of Marines, including Wuterich, kicked in the door and found a series of empty rooms, noticing quickly that there was one room with a closed door and people rustling behind it, Puckett said. They then kicked in that door, tossed a fragmentation grenade into the room, and one Marine fired a series of "clearing rounds" through the dust and smoke, killing several people, Puckett said.
...
Although it was almost immediately apparent to the Marines that the people dead in the room were men, women and children -- most likely civilians -- they also noticed a back door ajar and believed that insurgents had slipped through to a house nearby, Puckett said. The Marines stealthily moved to the second house, kicking in the door, killing one man inside and then using a frag grenade and more gunfire to clear another room full of people, he said.

According to a source in the article, the Marines probably were following the Rules of Engagement if this account is true. Note that civilians in an open area were not harmed while chasing other suspects soon after the house-to-house hunt.

Posted by: cbjohnson at 04:58 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 455 words, total size 3 kb.

CNN reports that Zarqawi was turned in by his own:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Betrayal inside his al Qaeda in Iraq terror group led to success in a painstaking U.S.-led operation to kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

The article also states that 17 other raids were conducted simultaneously based on the same intelligence, garnering a "treasure trove" of information.

And this will make the Kos Kidz kringe:

Last night was the first time that we have had definitive, unquestionable information as to exactly where [al-Zarqawi] was located, knowing that we could strike that target without causing collateral damage to other Iraqi civilians and personnel in the area," Caldwell said.

Okay, back to my cowbell.

stein hoist to Cap'n Ed.

Posted by: Vinnie at 05:39 PM | Comments (23) | Add Comment
Post contains 137 words, total size 1 kb.

Al Qaeda in Iraq's leader, Abu Musab al Zarqawi is dead! This post to be updated throughout the day.

[Right: An image of the dead al Zarqawi from Howie]

Vinnie's original report on Zarqawi's death. Demosophist: The Jeb Stuart al Zarqawi connection.

Today is one of the happiest days of my life. When I heard the news, I literally started crying.

To quote myself: Ding dong, the bitch is dead!!! Update: Great minds think alike.

Long-time readers know that The Jawa Report has had a personal grudge against al Zarqawi. Zarqawi first appeared on our radar screen when he was the leader of Tawhid and Jihad and began producing beheading snuff films distributed on the internet.

It was the murder of Nick Berg by Zarqawi, more than anything else, that set The Jawa Report on its present path. Seeing Nick Berg being murdered by al Zarqawi caused a reaction in my that is difficult to describe. It angered me. It made the war on terror personal. It made killing Zarqawi a personal goal for me.

In fact, over the past year or so not a single day has gone by when I have not fantasized that Zarqawi was either dead or captured. Today, my dream has come true!

Flashback: Nick Berg Gave Password to Terrorist

Log-time reader and hostage watcher George: Nick Berg and Eugene Armstrong's killer has finally died. I would have prefered he be beheaded but at least he's dead. Nick and Eugene are smiling from above. I am sure of that. Maybe now we'll finally get Bin Laden. I have more hope now. I always knew we would get Zarqawi since he was in Iraq. Today is a good day Rusty. RIP Nick and Eugene.

Amen!

Report from Baghdad on Iraqi reaction:

Mid-morning local time the news broke, Abu Musab al Zarqawi has been killed. The celebrations on the street and the cheers at the press conference announcing this news may seem odd to some in the comfortable confines of the west. While a BBC reporter today referred to al Zarqawi as a “controversial leader of the resistance” the reaction among most Iraqis lacks such nuance, they are glad for one simple reason, al Zarqawi is dead.

The reactions among Iraqis to the death of al Zarqawi is quite different than that to the similar demise of Uday and Qusay. The deaths of the brothers Hussein was met with a jumble of emotions among Iraqis in 2003: some saw them as leaders while most saw them as the homicidal maniacs they were. The reaction to the death of al Zarqawi is far more visceral, akin to ridding oneÂ’s house of a menacing rat.

A reserved Sunni intellectual who is quite particular in the language he uses summed up the feeling surrounding al Zarqawi’s death: “Goddamn that motherfucker for what he has done to Iraq.”

The death came courtesy of Task Force 145.

Zarqawi Air-strike video.

Video of al-Maliki announcing it.

Zarqawi family reacts:

The husband [of one of Zarqawi’s sisters], who identified himself as Abu Qudama, said: “We’re not sad that he’s dead.”

“To the contrary, we’re happy because he’s a martyr and he’s now in heaven,” added the man, who said he lost one of his legs fighting Russian forces in Afghanistan as part of the Islamic Mujahedein.

Reaction from the Left. Cut-and-run. And more. More Lefty 'elation'.

Nick Berg's father feels no relief that son's murderer killed. More from the 'peace dad'.

More insanity from Mr. Berg: Zarqawi's death will foster anti-American resentment among Al Qaeda members

Image before it was cleaned up via Michelle who has a roundup of her own.

How is Haditha related to Zarqawi's death? Because pro-insurgent forces love to lie about each and every incident in which someone in Iraq is killed. For instance, Lawrence at Is Full of Crap points us to this reaction from a resident of the town in which Zarqawi was killed as reported in the NY Times:

"Zarqawi. Zarqawi. Zarqawi. That's all we hear about. Zarqawi was not here. This home belonged to displaced people,'' said a village resident, holding up a teddy bear and a child's knapsack buried in the destruction.

Bush on Zarqawi death.

Think Bluto's post about the MSM reaction is overblown? Read this report from the Financial Times. Not only is the importance of the Zarqeermaster's death downplayed, the al-Qaeda link is also questioned.

Right reaction: Beth:

HAHA, you fucking son of a whore, may the maggots in hell choke on the stench of your filthy rotting corpse. Fuck you, you dead piece of less-than-worthless garbage! Let Satan himself and all his pet goats skull-fuck you until your ugly fucked up head pops off. 72 virgins? Heh. Virgin leper hogs, maybe.

Welcome to hell, Abu, you goat-raping half-a-man.

Hot damn, pizzas for everyone!

Good News.

The elimination of Zarqawi and his henchmen will kneecap the foreign insurgency.

See-Dub: I guess that machine gun he was working so hard at firing didnÂ’t come in to handy, now, did it?

Rest in pieces Zarqawi.

National Day of Mourning declared by French youth

Human Rights Groups Kill Abu Masab al-Zarqawi

Oyster: do not pass go, do not collect any virgins:

Pundit with good roundup. Lot's over at Hugh Hewitt from Hugh and Mary Katherine. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 09:05 AM | Comments (64) | Add Comment
Post contains 1335 words, total size 12 kb.

1 when did he suddenly become enemy # 1? for example Rusty said " Iraqis Seek Extermination of Small Vermin Abu Musab al-Zarqawi." from chipmunk to surrogate OBL? how silly.

Posted by: Michelle Z. at June 08, 2006 09:20 AM (fXkLc)

2 Oh you have a link. Sorry! Anyway, he's enemy #1 in Iraq. Now we should focus on getting Ibrahim al Douri who was one of Saddam's top lieutenants.

Posted by: Jack Miler at June 08, 2006 09:22 AM (CnDtU)

3 >>What pisses me off is that Nick's father doesn't appreciate the fact that his son's killer is dead. Let's chop his head off too. That'll learn him.

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 09:28 AM (UHKaK)

4 Nah, I don't want to chop off his head. He lost his son after all. A good beating with some soap in some socks ala Full Metal Jacket is good enough for me.

Posted by: Jack Miller at June 08, 2006 09:39 AM (CnDtU)

5 Maybe. But I still say we chop his head off. His wife's too. Maybe the neighbors.

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 10:20 AM (UHKaK)

6 Just reading the links show that Nick Berg was a jew traitor to this country giving passwords and assistnace to these filthy arabs. He got what he deserved in the end--a just reward for his anti American activities. I personally plan to show the Berg video at my 8 year olds birthdy party next month and to all of his friends so they can see what happens to traitors and who the enemy really is, all arabs. So Zarqawi is finally dead, fine. We will not rest until every arab man woman and child has also been slaughtered. God Bless America

Posted by: Unashamed Patriot at June 08, 2006 10:22 AM (Nhfns)

7 Holy Moly. I got a link! ~;-)

Posted by: Oyster at June 08, 2006 10:31 AM (ULAbo)

8 This will be a national day of celebration in Iraq, and should be great cause for celebration in the free world. There is even hope that my country (Canada) will slowly wake up to the fact that this is not just "Bush's war on so called terrorism", which I just heard today on the CBC when reporting on Zarqawi's death. Even though we just had a close brush with the real devils, Canadians, as a whole, just do not get it. This is a REAL war. Keep up the good fight.

Posted by: Grim Reaper at June 08, 2006 10:33 AM (fO5UN)

9 GMTA! Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead! I was singing that in the wee hours of the a.m., when I heard the news (I leave FOX news on all night). What gets me is that suddenly this asshole's arch enemy #1? What about OBL? Breaking news is one thing, but this animal doesn't deserve to take up so much news time. Good thing for Bush now, since his ratings plummeted. Maybe now that Zarqawi's dead, it'll take the heat off of those poor Marines accused of shooting civilians at random.

Posted by: Laura at June 08, 2006 10:33 AM (WeRWZ)

10 Though if they're found gulty, you gotta admit the heat'll be back on.

Posted by: glenn at June 08, 2006 10:41 AM (UHKaK)

11 Berg's dad is even trying to deny that it's Zarqawi. Man, is he ever whacked out.

Posted by: Oyster at June 08, 2006 10:44 AM (ULAbo)

12 Can we put Nick's head back on so we can cut it off again?

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 10:51 AM (UHKaK)

13 What's the deal about Nick's Dad? Is he whacked out or what? They positively id'd Zarqawi. Know what? They should string his ass upside down and let the Iraqi's piss on him. Too bad he died a swift death, unlike his victims. RIP, Berg, Armstrong, Bigley, and all the others. This news is not going away anytime soon. The allegations against those Marines will take a much needed break. I hope they get off, fuck 'em, this is a war, right? Anything goes.

Posted by: Laura at June 08, 2006 10:57 AM (WeRWZ)

14 >>>What pisses me off is that Nick's father doesn't appreciate the fact that his son's killer is dead. That seals it for me. I need no further proof that Liberalism is a mental disorder.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at June 08, 2006 11:00 AM (8e/V4)

15 Not according to the Marine commander who's overseeing the investigation. But what the fuck does he know about war?

Posted by: glenn at June 08, 2006 11:05 AM (UHKaK)

16 >>>> fuck 'em, this is a war, right? Anything goes. Exactly, screw this "winning hearts and minds" shit. Blow away a couple of their toddlers and old ladies, maybe they'll start getting it: don't fuck with the USA.

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 11:12 AM (UHKaK)

17 Good ! that muslitard is now in hell with mahomet the fake guru but real pedophil and murderer, today the world is more free and happy without that muslishit murderer's people. just thx to the usa for that good news and continue the good job guys. http://angelaaronscc.blogspot.com/

Posted by: slimangel at June 08, 2006 11:20 AM (ZYbRZ)

18 Thanks for the link! Thanks also to all those who would have pushed for rights for this maniac had he been captured. The US Military was thinking of you when they decided to drop bombs through the roof instead of special forces through the windows!

Posted by: Fred Fry at June 08, 2006 11:22 AM (JXdhy)

19 This is just a small victory. The real victory will be when the last arab man woman and child has been slaughtered and the streets of the world flow red with arab blood. Arabs are subhuman filth lower than cockroaches. I teach my son that if you ever encounter an arab you shoot them first no questions asked. He must know that arabs only wish to harm others and rape children. Praise Jesus and God Bless America

Posted by: Unashamed Patriot at June 08, 2006 11:28 AM (Nhfns)

20 Do we get the burn his corpse and drag it through the streets now?

Posted by: Cmunk at June 08, 2006 11:31 AM (7teJ9)

21 This cat used all of his 9 lives up.

Posted by: Greg at June 08, 2006 11:41 AM (q5wwn)

22 >>>>> Think Bluto's post about the MSM reaction is overblown? I think ALL of Bluto's reactions to the MSM are overblown, fueled largely by sweeping generalizations, logical fallacies and non sequiturs that stretch the bounds of reason.

Posted by: glenn at June 08, 2006 12:46 PM (UHKaK)

23 Zarqawi's death will foster anti-American resentment among Al Qaeda members More evidence Liberals suffer from a mental disorder. I'm staring at the pic of dead Zarqawi and it fills me with such a calm and peace. I can actually feel the endorphins and dopamine begin to flow. Is that wrong? He looks like he's sleeping peacefully, but his soul is now burning in an everlasting eternal hell.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at June 08, 2006 12:50 PM (8e/V4)

24 Hoorah. The SOB deserved it. Though I am somewhat saddened, now who will I make fun of for being a stupid monkey unable to fire a gun in a propaganda video made to make us fear them? Unashamed Patriot...you sound like Guy de Lusignan or Reynauld de Chatillon. They believed much the same thing before setting out for Hattin. God and Jesus were on their side, it did not matter that Saladin held vast numerical superiority in a startegically and logistically superior position. It did not get them too far (especially Reynauld). Fighting smart, not zealously, wins the day.

Posted by: Ranba Ral at June 08, 2006 12:53 PM (S+598)

25 Wait a sec ... this is the guy who's planning to show Nick Berg's beheading at his kid's eighth birthday party. You can stop reasoning now.

Posted by: TheWingedAvenger at June 08, 2006 12:57 PM (UHKaK)

26 not so fast.Zarqawis death might be a huge pentagon psyops to prepare us for a huge attack here that they can then say was revenge.watch!!!

Posted by: judd at June 08, 2006 01:03 PM (PTskS)

27 Screw that, I'm gonna wallow in my bliss right now, I don't care what they have planned for us. You know how cockroaches are...kill a few, twice as many come back. Same thing with these insurgents. Zarqawi's just the tip of the iceberg. Gotta chip away at the rest of the ice too. I saw a reporter ask someone why didn't they show the rest of Zarqawi's body, and just the face? They said it was "too gruesome" from the attack....bullshit! Bring it on! Hey, we saw the beheading videos, this would be a piece of cake to watch! Then again, maybe his head is all that's left of the bastard. GOD BLESS AMERICA. REJOICE!!!

Posted by: Laura at June 08, 2006 01:12 PM (WeRWZ)

28 he got fucxed up good SOB byy see u in hell ass wipe

Posted by: blackdog at June 08, 2006 01:13 PM (U5mdE)

29 Hey I don't support the murder of innocent civilians Laura and Party Pooper. That doesn't help our soldiers out there. I believe in innocence until proven guilty but if the Marines are guilty than they should serve life in prison. Snap out of it Laura. Zarqawi got what he deserve. The U.S must prove to Iraqis that it is better than the terrorists. We are humane. Zarqawi was not.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 08, 2006 01:19 PM (CnDtU)

30 Read my posts carefully George...do you REALLY think I'm on the same page with this Laura person? Or was I parodying her and her ilk? Hmmm....

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 01:28 PM (UHKaK)

31 Oh sorry. There's a lot sick people in this world who like killing civilians. I was directing my post to Laura. Sorry Party Pooper.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 08, 2006 01:30 PM (CnDtU)

32 I know ... I run across a few of them right here. Thank God they're insignificant. No problem.

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 01:33 PM (UHKaK)

33 Amazing! He gets two 500lb bombs dropped on his ass and there's a no more than a scuff mark on his face! No wonder we can never kill OBL. I'll bet he has even more of the "Muslim magic."

Posted by: iGNORANT jACKOFF at June 08, 2006 02:31 PM (ZucvC)

34 >>>> >>>What pisses me off is that Nick's father doesn't appreciate the fact that his son's killer is dead. That seals it for me. I need no further proof that Liberalism is a mental disorder. Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at June 8, 2006 11:00 AM ------------------------------------------------ Yeah, really. Wasn't Jesus a screwball? I'll bet that wacko is spewing some kind of love your enemy garbage that only liberals with mental disorders agree with. Kill'em all. The real god will sort them out.

Posted by: iGNORANT jACKOFF at June 08, 2006 02:34 PM (ZucvC)

35 I hope they get the labtop, and cell phone. That way, we can see who has been giving them the bombs to place in the street. I bet it is Iran, or China. ROPMA

Posted by: Leatherneck at June 08, 2006 02:49 PM (D2g/j)

36 *shakes head* I guess youse guys don't "see" my tongue in my cheek, eh? Do you really think I condone innocent civilians getting killed? Hell no. But when insurgents are shooting at you, using them as human shields, what the fuck else is left to do? Stand there and take it? War sucks, get over it.

Posted by: Laura at June 08, 2006 02:49 PM (WeRWZ)

37 No Jesus was not a screwball. Loving your enemy does not necessary mean not punishing them. You love your children but if your children made a big mistake would you not discipline him accordingly? anyways i just like to say Al-Zarqawi got Pwn3d!!!!!!11111 C'mon say it with me. ALLAHU AKBAR! indeed. ...you gotta say that phrase at the correct moment.

Posted by: Billy Faeth at June 08, 2006 03:18 PM (c6Dyg)

38 No one said war didn't suck. And no one said civilians don't die in war. And no one said insurgents don't use the lowest tactics known to humankind. We all know these to be true But what if it really is revealed the three Marines the investigation is targeting actually walked in to this house, shot that old lady in her wheelchair, a mom and her kid in bed, and 19 other unarmed men, women and children? I'd say it kinda makes it hard to sell ourselves as liberators and friends, not to mention un-doing the "hearts-and-mids" work of tens of thousands of other soldiers over the past three years, don't you think? Are you willing to "Get over that?" Betcha the miliary Courts-Martial won't.

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 03:40 PM (UHKaK)

39 Amazing! He gets two 500lb bombs dropped on his ass and there's a no more than a scuff mark on his face! No wonder we can never kill OBL. I'll bet he has even more of the "Muslim magic." Posted by iGNORANT jACKOFF at June 8, 2006 02:31 PM Is he any less dead? conspiracy kooks coming out of the woodwork I see -- did Karl Rove use the Roswell space saucer, with it's anti-matter ray to kill him IJ? Have you see his body below the neckline?

Posted by: davec at June 08, 2006 03:48 PM (CcXvt)

40 Why are you so quick to judge the Marines as already guilty? I've known a few Marines and they go through very rigid procedures...they're not known to "crack" like that! The media has done nothing to show our boys in a good light....any little thing that can grab onto to make them look bad, so that they (the libs) can look smug and say "I told ya so, this war is illegal!", they will. Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? Were you an OJ supporter as well?

Posted by: Laura at June 08, 2006 03:59 PM (WeRWZ)

41 >>>>Amazing! He gets two 500lb bombs dropped on his ass and there's a no more than a scuff mark on his face! Can you imagine the field day you conspiracy theorists would be having if he had been damaged beyond recognition??? lol! Sorry to dissapoint you.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at June 08, 2006 04:22 PM (8e/V4)

42 He's dead. A job well done. The fat bastard can rot in hell with all the other islamic dogs.

Posted by: Jester at June 08, 2006 04:23 PM (oDbIP)

43 The backpack, teddy bear and sandal belonged to Zarqawi's child. One of his wives was also killed in the blast.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 08, 2006 04:47 PM (CnDtU)

44 >>>>Why are you so quick to judge the Marines as already guilty? Did you see the words "what if" in my post? That means "WHAT IF they are," not "they are." You gotta take a minute to read all the way through for comprehension.

Posted by: Party Pooper at June 08, 2006 05:43 PM (oxMjD)

45 Hey...He's probably dead BUT wouldn't dropping 2 500-pound bombs on him do a bit more damage than that photo???!!!! I mean, I'd expect nothing but small chunks of charred flesh and bone. His hairdo still even looks decent like he's ready for a night out. I guess direct hits by multiple 500-pound bombs is only mildly lethal! -C

Posted by: Chris at June 08, 2006 05:52 PM (EHnBF)

46 When do we get to piss on his grave?

Posted by: greyrooster at June 08, 2006 08:23 PM (4Ospb)

47 So, Mr. Ramos. What are you trying to say?

Posted by: REMF at June 08, 2006 09:09 PM (7RMSi)

48 I'm just saying that Zarqawi's wife and child were killed in the blast. I don't need a far right guy telling me what I can and cannot say.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 09, 2006 06:59 AM (CnDtU)

49 Rusty using as an example of left wing bias in MSM and linkung that to the Financial Times I mean really, the Financial Times is now on the left side of politics ?

Posted by: john ryan at June 09, 2006 07:46 AM (TcoRJ)

50 George, Who gives a crap. Serves the bitch right for being married to the guy. Too bad for the kid I guess. I consider him just another victim of Zarq's terrorism.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at June 09, 2006 08:08 AM (8e/V4)

51 I just read that now it appears that there was no kid in the house. Thank God for that. Some Iraqis were apparently Bsing. Make no mistake though. I have no sympathy for the wife Carlos. She was crazy for marrying the guy and deserved to die. There were three men and there wives in the house. They deserved to die.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 09, 2006 08:26 AM (CnDtU)

52 Why is it whenever I say something I'm considered a far left guy? Why do I even bother posting. I'm a proud American. I hate Zarqawi, Bin Laden and Zawahiri's guts. I'm a moderate guy. I give both sides a chance to express their opinions. Wise up Carlos. I don't care about Zarqawi's wife.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 09, 2006 08:34 AM (CnDtU)

53 Oh and Carlos. Please don't hate my guts. Maxie who has disappeared already hates my guts. God only knows what happened to Agent Smith. I disappeared after some dickheads used my identity to spout vandalism in this board. I want to have a fair debate with you. I don't know you so I don't want to insult you. I'll see you around.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 09, 2006 08:42 AM (CnDtU)

54 Hey, I heard on the news this a.m. that Zarcoward didn't die right away! He tried to escape from the gurney!!! He didn't have any last words though, and died shortly thereafter. This would make me assume that he didn't die instantly, so maybe the bastard did suffer. Alan Combs bitched about them killing him. He said he was probably more valuable alive than dead. He said if we knew he was in there, why didn't we take him as prisoner? Well, maybe it's because we failed on the other 56 attempts!

Posted by: Laura at June 09, 2006 08:42 AM (WeRWZ)

55 Yeah Laura. The guy wore a suicide belt and probably had spotters on the rooftops. Zarqawi could not be allowed to escape. I'm surprised he survived the blast but am totally glad that he died slowly and suffered. That way he knew that we got him. And besides, Zarqawi was sentenced to death numerous times. No point in capturing him if we were going to put him to death anyway.

Posted by: George Ramos at June 09, 2006 08:59 AM (CnDtU)

56 The only good thing to come out of capturing him alive is any information that may prove to be valuable to us....like maybe he'd have to squeal about where all the other cells were, or something to that effect. But yeah, he'd be sentenced to death and killed quickly by lethal injection, in a nice sterile environment. Too good for him. I don't know if it's true though, that he tried to escape from the gurney.....the reporters have said that the only took a head shot of him dead because the rest of him was "too gruesome" to be shown....which would mean the rest of him must've been blown off or mangled, so how could he try to run away? I believe this with a grain of salt, like I do all other reports. But one thing we do know for sure....the bastard's DEAD!

Posted by: Laura at June 09, 2006 09:04 AM (WeRWZ)

57 Fuck him, his kids,all his wives, and anyone like him. They'll be on the skewer right next to that filthy piece of shit for all eternity soon enough. I hope he was conscious for long enough after the bombs went off to at least say, "oh shit".

Posted by: Spanky at June 09, 2006 09:57 AM (Xk8Hy)

58 Stop hateing on Zarqawi. The man has past away, leave him be. He played the game and he payied. And please stop saying evil things about his relatives you all don't even know them. So stop judging them. Their human beings too. It sickins me to see all of you celebrateing a persons death. His gone know, who are we to judge him or his relatives?

Posted by: Nice man at June 10, 2006 08:50 PM (c7ncZ)

59 USA help dictators in AMERICA and make war all over the world....USA IS going to suffer all that killings.

Posted by: ARGENTO at June 10, 2006 11:09 PM (tuzo2)

60 Nice Man go to hell. We celebrate the death of someone no more human than a blowfly.

Posted by: Jester at June 11, 2006 04:16 PM (TuAMG)

61 Don't you get it? You live your lives hating, being afraid, and allowing your government to strip you of your rights so you can be "protected" from the "big, bad terrorists" by doing this, you accomplish what the bad guys wanted-for you all to walk on eggshells, forever. The very term "terrorist" denotes one who uses terror as a primary weapon. Guess what? They win-even when you blow one up. They'll just recruit another one. You, on the other hand, still go to bed afraid, and still allow your government to strip your "American way of life" in the interests of "security". You still keep spending boatloads of money that could be fortifying dikes in LA, sending boatloads of men to die in Iraq that could instead be helping to rebuild New Orleans. You think blowing up one guy or even 1000 guys is going to make the rest of them run and hide? You obviously don't get the mentality of these ppl. There is only one way to win the "war on terror". Stop making it a war. Go about your day, live your life like it's your last day on earth, stick up for your constitutional rights. Be an American. Sure, there will still be bombs, hijackings, and shootings. But there's also going to be earthquakes, floods, cat 5 hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters that take lives. There's gonna be car accidents, and gas line explosions, and house fires, and heart attacks, and cancer, and accidental overdoses, and drownings, and all other manner of death. So ask yourself if it's worth the headache.

Posted by: CanadianThinker at June 12, 2006 12:53 AM (kl/Lw)

62 It's to bad some people are bad. check out this wierd site www.paulthev.piczo.com

Posted by: pual at June 12, 2006 03:32 PM (c7ncZ)

63 Hello fellow mujahadeen, This is Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. I have come back from the dead to tell you that Allah has run out of virgins. Instead, you will all have to screw your own mothers after you die as martyrs. I personally have chosen to screw my mother's rear end for all eternity here in heaven. Allah bless you and curse the American Satan!!! Yours truly, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi

Posted by: Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi at June 13, 2006 02:15 PM (jmn+D)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Image from Fox News:

ABC News is reporting that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is dead, along with his "spiritual adviser."

I have nothing to link to, I haven't found any web-based corroboration. Not even on the ABC website.

It's 2:19 a.m. here, and I'll do the best I can. Look for updates.

Cnn.com has it as breaking news.

I admit, I saw this on Kos too, looking for fodder for a different post, but Caltechgirl beat us all!

Well, except for ABC on the teevee.

Update: ABC news is reporting that Zarqawi was injured in an airstrike, and then later died after being transferred to Iraqi authorities

Update, Too: Foxnews has a banner.

Update Again: According to Fox, Iraqi PM has announced that Zarqawi is dead, to a cheering room.

Watching live press conference now.

"It is a good omen for Iraq..."

Gen. Casey:

"This happened in an airstrike which was conducted against an identified isolated safehouse"

"We have been able to identify al-Zarqawi through visual verification"

Right before the PC started, the Fox reporter stated that Zarqawi's death was verified by DNA, but the anchor cut in for the PC

Update IV: Oh holy Shiite, as sure as the sunni rises in the East, I will wake up with a headache in the morning.

He's DEAD!

Update V: He's F***ING DEAD, YEAH!!!! Below the fold is NSFW

Update Seex: Expect the leftists to ask.."Where's Osama?" He's reading your blogs, you assmonkeys.

Update Seven: Even Vinnie sleeps. Take it away, Rusty.

more...

Posted by: Vinnie at 01:27 AM | Comments (38) | Add Comment
Post contains 355 words, total size 3 kb.

Not happy with being mocked in his feature film debut, Abu sends this one straight to audio:

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi called on fellow Sunnis to reject any reconciliation with "infidel" Shi'ites, according to an audio tape posted on the Internet on Thursday.

"O Sunnis! Prepare to get rid of the infidel snakes and their poison ... and don't listen to those advocating an end to sectarianism and calling for national unity. This is a weapon to get you to surrender," said the speaker on the tape who sounded like Zarqawi.

I don't know, my memory could be hazy, but I seem to recall that Zarqawi's bungled his mission in Iraq so bad he peeved off the Sunnis to the point that they're out to get him as well.

Eh, someone's going to shut him up eventually, I guess. Abu does have a comic streak in him though:

The speaker blasted Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, as the "leader of infidelity and atheism" and said his followers were more concerned about honoring their own saints than protesting against cartoons of Islam's Prophet Mohammad published in Danish and other European newspapers.

"We did not see them rise up with the same fervor when blasphemous pictures of the Prophet were published because they prefer their own leaders to God and his Prophet," he said.

This is the atheistic infidel Ayatollah who advocates killing homosexuals on his website. Sure, right. Abu, you're on the waterskis, almost to the ramp that'll take you over the spot where the shark is swimming.

Posted by: Vinnie at 05:11 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 278 words, total size 2 kb.

A top aide to al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi has been captured by the Iraqi Army. Kassim al-Ani is described as a senior al Qaeda leader and was among the most wanted in Iraq. Reuters:

Defence Ministry spokesman Kassim al-Mosawi said that Kassim al-Ani, one of the most wanted people in Iraq, was arrested on Sunday evening.

"The Iraqi army forces arrested three terrorists who belong to al Qaeda, one of them is a senior aide of Zarqawi in Baghdad," Mosawi said.

"He was one of the most wanted ones," he told Reuters, adding that Ani was suspected of being behind many attacks in the Iraqi capital....

Mosawi said the army had received intelligence information that Ani and the two other suspects were in a house in Baghdad's northern Adhamiya district, a predominantly Sunni area.

"We prepared a plan and raided the house and arrested them without resistance," he said.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:16 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 187 words, total size 1 kb.

Dogs and cats, living together in Kurdistan! Iraq the Model on the news that hundreds have openly converted to Christianity:

The report quotes an interesting statement of the PM of Kurdistan Nejervan Barzani (a Muslim himslef) who commented on the news by saying "I'd rather see a Muslim become Christian than to see him become a radical MuslimÂ…"

A friend of mine who just returned from Iraq tells me he was surprised at meeting so many Christians. He's not sure to what extent they were openly Christian, but it wasn't uncommon for a local to confide that they were Christian in private.

Hat tip to Allah.

Posted by: Rusty at 07:38 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 121 words, total size 1 kb.

(Beirut, Lebanon) Good news! Another member of the ousted Saddam Hussein regime is apprehended.

From DailyStar.com:

Police in Lebanon have arrested the son of Saddam Hussein's half-brother on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol. According to sources close to the security forces, Bashar Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti, identified by the international policing organization as a "dangerous wanted terrorist," was nabbed at the Malibu Bay Hotel in the Jounieh neighborhood of Maameltein.

Tikriti had been planning to board a flight from the Lebanese capital to Brazil later in the day.

Police were tipped off when members of the hotel's staff suspected that Takriti's passport had been tampered with to alter his name.

The sources added that the wanted Iraqi had originally entered Lebanon through Syria after escaping Iraq. An international warrant for Tikriti's arrest on terrorism charges, including leading a group to fight US forces in Iraq, was later discovered once authorities realized who they had in custody.

On a different note, it would be nice to know what connection Basher Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti has with Brazil. Business or pleasure? Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if there were an expatriate group of exiled Baathists in Brazil. After all, the country is comfortably socialist.

From Interested-Participant.

UPDATE: This is a follow up to our earlier report Saddam Nephew Arrested in Beirut.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 10:17 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 287 words, total size 2 kb.

The Army of Ansar al-Sunna has taken a female Iraqi translator hostage. In an announcement released on the internet, the group claimed that it had captured Mayada Salihi, a woman working as a translator for U.S. forces.

In the statement, the group claimed that Salihi was an "apostate" and among their most wanted targets. The Islamist group also claims that they had shot and wounded Ms. Salahi last year, but that she had escaped.

The group also posted several images to confirm that Mayada Salihi had been captured. Among them are several identification badges, including one for the U.S. embassy in Iraq. Two others identify Salihi as an employee of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.

A series of other photos appear to show a woman posing with various Iraqi and U.S. forces, but her face is is blurred. The woman does appear to be Salahi.

The Army of Ansar al-Sunna is an active terrorist organization in Iraq. The group routinely murders hostages that it deems "apostates". Under Islamic law, the maximum penalty for apostasy is death. Thus, the Islamist groups justifies its murders as the carrying out of the death penalty under the guise of Islamic law.

The statement released by the group claims that two of its members were shopping in Baghdad when they spotted Salihi. They claim that Salihi was some sort of counter-intelligence officer that was hunting them down. Salihi initially fled the two "mujahidin" when they attacked her. They later found her in her car and kidnapped her, even though some Iraqi policemen saw what was happening and tried to stop them.

The group promised to upload a video to the internet in the near future. Unfortunately, this group has distributed dozens of videos of the murder and beheading of hostages in the past.

Mayada Salihi was featured in an article by Knight-Ridder in May of 2003. The author, S. Thorne Harper, describes Mayada Salihi as an outspoken advocate of women's rights in Iraq.:

She's definitely got the attitude – passionate and outspoken. In a country steeped in patriarchy, with little history of free speech, that's never been a problem for the 31-year-old, married mother of two.

"It is difficult here for some women," said Salihi, who prefers make-up, blouses and slacks to conservative Arab fashion. "For me, it's easy. I can say whatever I want."

Salihi worked at a private school teaching English before the war until a U.S. bombe killed one of her neighbors:

Later, still seething, she approached the first U.S. soldier she saw and asked him a tough question.

"I said to him: `I need to know when you are leaving our country,' " she said, sipping on a Pepsi.

The soldier had no answer. Calming her anger, Salihi realized she had to use her English skills to work with the Americans.

She works long hours as a U.S. military translator. Her husband works as a driver and guide for journalists.

Four days ago, she discovered four unexploded U.S. cluster bombs in her front yard. She said Iraqis who believe she is working with the U.S. government to arrest members of the former regime placed them there.

"I can't even let my children outside to play anymore," she said. "My house is like a prison."

More from Salihi:

She finds a paradox in postwar Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein, she said, there was no freedom of speech but there was adequate security. Under U.S. rule, Iraqis are free to express themselves but no one feels safe.

Salihi warned that Iraqis are beginning to consider this paradox. Unless the U.S. turns things around quickly, she said they might start longing for the old ways.

"There is an old Arab saying, `If you want to know the value of something – like a leader, try the value of another one for a while," she said.

We pray that U.S. forces will swiftly find the terrorists who have captured Mayada Salihi and free her before it is too late. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 03:32 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
Post contains 796 words, total size 5 kb.

Bashar Sabawi al-Tikriti, the nephew of Saddam Hussein, has been arrested in Lebanon. Although Lebanese authorities have not commented on the exact nature of the charges against him, it is likely that Bashar Sabawi was arrested for helping to fund terrorism in Iraq.

In 2005 the U.S. State Department blocked the assets of Bashar Sabawi al-Tikriti and 5 other nephews of Saddam Hussein on suspicion of funding terrorism in Iraq.

Al Jazeera:

The prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, announced on Wednesday that Bashar Sabawi Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti was arrested with the assistance of Lebanese police.

However, the announcement did not say when exactly al-Tikriti was arrested or what for.

"Bashar Sabawi al-Tikriti is an important element on the most-wanted list due to his ugly crimes against the Iraqi people after the fall of the former regime," the announcement said.

Bashar Sabawi's father, Sabaawi Ibrahim al-Hussein, was arrested last year on similar charges and testified in Saddam Hussein's trial earlier this week. Bashar's brother Ayman was arrested one year ago during an operation in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit.

Posted by: Rusty at 10:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 195 words, total size 2 kb.

(Baghdad) After three years of turmoil following the ouster of Saddam Hussein, a new Iraqi government has been sworn in before a special session of parliament.

From MyWay.com:

The session began more than two hours late because of last-minute haggling, finally opening with readings from the Quran.

The 37-member Cabinet is made up of members from all of Iraq's religious, sectarian and ethnic groups. It took months of negotiations to form after the Dec. 15 elections and is Iraq's first constitutional government since the U.S. invasion toppled Saddam.

"This is a historic day for Iraq and all its people," deputy parliament speaker Khalid al-Attiyah said in a nationally televised news conference before the session. "This government represents all Iraqis."

Maybe it's just my ignorance, but it seems that the formation of a new government in Iraq is a milestone event worth trumpeting. Text books tell us that the colonies took considerably longer than three years to cast off the shackles of tyranny and establish the United States so, not only is the creation of a constitutional democracy in Iraq a major event in world history, it was accomplished in record time when compared to America. However, despite my beliefs, a search through the mainstream media reveals the story getting ho-hum mention and usually it's sandwiched between graphically reported segments showing violence in the streets.

Nonetheless, I congratulate the citizens of the nation of Iraq.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 07:16 AM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
Post contains 257 words, total size 2 kb.

The report accuses Iran of supplying shoulder fired missiles specifically to al-Qaeda. However Abu Musab al-Zaqawi’s recent video demonstrated primitive rockets. However there are guided shoulder fire missiles in use by the insurgency there. What groups exactly are using them is hard to tell. I’m a bit gun shy of these claims lately. These missiles could come from any of a number of nations in the region. Given that Iran has in interest chaos in Iraq. We are already in a “cold war” type situation with Iran. Just who they supplied them to and where they went from there is open for debate. However the fact remains that since these devices have been in use in Iraq the danger to US choppers have increased considerably.

Iran Focus :London, May 13 – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had provided the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq heavy weapons including anti-aircraft missiles, it emerged on Friday.

The Iraqi daily az-Zaman which is published in London and Baghdad quoted credible Iraqi sources as revealing that the IRGC had given al-Qaeda in Iraq, Strela-type SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles, modern explosives, and a large number of personnel arms including Kalashnikovs and BKC machineguns.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is believed to be led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is on the United StatesÂ’ wanted list.

The report said that representatives of al-ZarqawiÂ’s group met in Beirut with members of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and through them established channels with Tehran.

Three close aides to al-Zarqawi travelled to Iran via a security checkpoint in the Iraqi border province of al-Amara from where they met with Iranian officials, the report added.

The United States and Iraqi officials have accused IranÂ’s radical Islamic government of sending agents and arms into Iraq to assist the insurgency.

CHRON : The U.S. command also said American soldiers and helicopters conducted four raids over the weekend in the Triangle of Death, killing 16 suspected al-Qaida insurgents, including one militant who allegedly had led the April 1 attack, during which two U.S. soldiers were killed when their AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down in the Youssifiyah area.

After that attack, a new al-Qaida group claimed responsibility and posted a gruesome video on the Web showing men dragging the burning body of what appeared to be an American soldier across a field as they shouted "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!"

al-Qaeda Video claim showing our beloved pilots body being abused. (Personal note why this man's name was read on the New Hour on PBS it touched me as I had reported on his death and abuse)

Also See Iraq the Model.

Wikipedia entry on Strela missiles which are the Russian equivalent of the American Stinger.

al-Qeada claims shootdown of civilian chopper.

Why did Zarqawi chose to show the less technical Palestinian junk in this video?

The safest is that Iran and other nations have supplied some numbers of these missiles and each “insurgent group” through horse trading have acquired them in limited numbers. Iran is the primary suspect and it’s safe to assume that al-Qaeda has a few or releases shoot down incidents done by other groups and takes credit to create the perception they are more powerful than they are. I suspect Shia militia and Sunni groups also have these and also have an interest in being sure that al-Qaeda gets all the credit/blame. You can however be absolutely sure these things are deadly dangerous to our men and women in Iraq.

Note:The recent shoot down of a British Chopper took place in Basra, a Shia controlled area. more...

Posted by: Howie at 08:33 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 688 words, total size 5 kb.

(Baghdad) Witnesses saw two Iraqi journalists, Laith al-Dulaimi and Muazaz Ahmed Barood, abducted on Sunday southeast of Baghdad. Their bodies were found on Monday.

From CPJ.org:

Al-Dulaimi, a reporter for the privately owned TV station Al-Nahrain, and Muazaz Ahmed Barood, a telephone operator for the station, were kidnapped by men disguised as police officers at Diyala Bridge while driving home to Mada'in, a town 12 miles (19 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Abdulkarim al-Mehdawi, the station's general manager told CPJ.

Their bodies were discovered at al-Wihda district, 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Baghdad. Both men, in their late 20s, were shot in the chest, al-Mehdawi told CPJ.

Al-Dulaimi became a reporter for Al-Nahrain four months ago. Barood worked at the station since it was established just over a year and a half ago. The motive behind the murders is unclear. Al-Mehdawi told CPJ that neither the station nor the journalists had ever received threats.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 07:31 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 225 words, total size 2 kb.

At the same time, the Americans and the Government were able to absorb our painful blows, sustain them, compensate their losses with new replacements, and follow strategic plans which allowed them in the past few years to take control of Baghdad as well as other areas one after the other. That is why every year is worse than the previous year as far as the MujahidinÂ’s control and influence over Baghdad.

5. The role that the Islamic party and the Islamic Scholars Committee play in numbing the Sunni people through the media is a dangerous role. It has been proven from the course of the events that the American investment in the Party and the Committee were not in vain. In spite of the gravity of the events, they were able to calm down the Sunni people, justify the enemy deeds, and give the enemy the opportunity to do more work without any recourse and supervision.

Read the whole damn thing.

Quote above is taken from the link titled "full translation, read more."

CP @ VAM, MVWRC, and TDPB

Posted by: Vinnie at 10:31 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 199 words, total size 1 kb.