ZARQAWI, KA-POWEE: A WIN FOR THE HOME FRONT

New york Post ^ | 6/9/06 | John Podhoretz

[Oshkalaboomboom]

THE killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi yesterday was enormously important, and not only because al Qaeda lost its longtime leader in Iraq and the insurgency lost its chief strategist. This action, taken in the midst of this highly unusual war, was the equivalent of a victory in a major battle in a more conventional conflict.

A country can win battles and lose wars, as the voices of gloom were already reminding us only minutes after the announcement of Zarqawi's demise. But wars can't be won unless battles are won.

American forces have won battles during the Iraq war - to name just two, the takeover of Fallujah and the roust-out of terrorists from the town of Tal Afar.

But since our objective in this war is not to take and hold territory or advance geographically, these victories have seemed isolated and therefore haven't taken hold of the public imagination. And one reason it is so important to win battles is to give heart to the public at home and give them a sense that the sacrifices are not being made in vain - that we can and will win in the end.

Another reason Fallujah and Tal Afar didn't do much to stir public opinion is that the nature of the battlefield is hard to understand. After all, our war is not with the people of Iraq but with terrorists who are trying to halt the political progress of that shattered country. So we are defending Iraqis while killing other Iraqis - as well as foreigners like Zarqawi who have taken up the cause of jihad there.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

The nattering nabobs of negativism in the MSM must be emptying their liquor cabinets this weekend, hehe

[garyhope]

"must be emptying their liquor cabinets this weekend"

Yeah, like they were fun enough, or man enough to drink and actually be happy about anything. They've all got sour pickles shoved up their,...........nevermind.

[David Isaac]

"wars can't be won unless battles are won."


While that may be true for the good guys, it was not true for the NVA/VC. Unless one counts the battle for the hearts and minds(?) of the American media and intelligentsia.

[federal]

Hey what's wrong with sour pickles? LOL!

[TheWasteLand]

I think Teddy has had a snifter or two. And if he empties his cabinet this weekend, we all had best stay off the roads (and bridges).

[goldstategop]

There's a face on evil and it can be defeated. It is not invincible. The Islamofascists are not going to be able to mass murder their way to power in any part of the world. We have the ability to stop them. And we did by taking out the most gruesome proponent of the idea that the more murders you commit, the more horrifying the atrocities, the sooner the West will lose heart and abandon the field of battle. Contrary to Zarqawi's expectations, we took the battle to the enemy himself and decisively knocked off its eminence grise, the prince of Al Qaeda in Iraq. There is hope for the future.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[GVnana]

The last thing Zarqawi saw was a US soldier standing over him. How cool is that?

[JLGALT]

"The last thing Zarqawi saw was a US soldier standing over him."

And I hope that soldier spit in his face!

[elhombrelibre]

Tal Afar, also spelled Tall Afar, happened basically at the same time as Hurricane Katrina. The news was focused on that instead. As a result, most people were totally unaware of how well we routed the enemy in that battle.