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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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)

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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
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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
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