Victory for Task Force 145; Now Back to Bin Laden

Many of the task force’s resources, including unmanned predator aircraft, had been diverted from the bin Laden search in Afghanistan to go after Zarqawi, who came to be seen as a more immediate and deadly threat than bin Laden.
Don’t think they can walk and chew gum at the same time?

Ok. So ya do what you gotta do and sometimes it’s not pretty.
All in all, much like the sport of fishing, which pits the two most diverse extremes of the evolutionary food chain against each other, this world’s modern super power, using the most advanced technology throughout all recorded history has managed to (after years of effort)track down and annihilate one of it’s most recent annoying ideological, desert dwelling, fugitive enemies.
Like I said, sometimes you simply do what you’ve got to do.
I guess the problem I have with it, if any, is the once again global publication of the photograph of the corpse of the vanquished.
Such too, was the case with the sons of Saddam. And I thought we had perhaps learned better by now.
In the past in Somalia and in Bahgdad, when photos of our own murdered native sons and daughters we’re put into global publication by the perpetrators, the general reaction from American leadership and it’s public was outrage over such a callous display of barbarism and inhumanity. This went well beyond spiking the football after a touchdown. This was mean spirited and irreverent, a ridicule unbefitting the dead.
We on the otherhand, who rally so often about the breech to moral and legal compacts and conventions when the “savages” do it, seem to have no compunction to behaving in the same fashion when it is we who manage to brutally snatch victory from the act of extinquishing the life force from any major or minor adversary in the arena of battle. And then in our own manner prance the head of our victim on the tip of a spike for all to see our glory.
A double standard?
You bet.
One more in a list of many.
But if we ever think we can justifiably demand a higher set of moral standards from the world around us, be they friend or foe, we had better start honoring the same standards we demand of others. Or this whole civility of war and rules of engagement myth that everyone keeps demanding for themselves but shun for all others, will keep getting nastier and nastier as time and battles wear on.
Of course there’s the option of refraining from killing for revenge, power, stratecic positioning, resources and territory…
…but obviously, we have a huge way to go before we reach that level of evolutionary progress.

Great rebuttal ja.

While it is true that Zarqawi wasn’t literally dragged through the streets and “nobody had a foot on his head”, it is equally true (or perhaps simply self evident)that we are being treated to the electronic equivalent of having his head paraded through the whole global village as a bloody head on a stake.
I would sooner have someone discredit the evidence and call “scam” because full blown, larger than life photos in color and b/w were not made available for saturated, public appreciation as it is.
It seems the lesser of two evils considering the call going out during this publicity tour of the guys head for the next few days is going to be yet another genius marketing campaign for Jihad recruitment.
Like invading Iraq wasn’t enough Madison Avenue for “Osama Wants You!”

Quit crying about your taxes you pay for the war. The day we catch Bin Laden your not going to complain once. America is so ungrateful for the job the military does. They are more concerned about taxes than the safety of this country! When things get bad, blame the President, that is America’s philisophy. Suck it up! Get some got damn integrity. Quit whining!

I think some of you guys are missing the point, I understand the idea of supporting our troops, and personally I do, but calling people who criticize military actions whiners? As Zach said, its the 3rd quarter(definitely not the start of the game, though sometimes teams can and do come back) and people say bad plays have been made, thats what democracy is all about, its not “you must support who is in power because they are in power”, its a government governed by the people and their concerns. You could say well the majority elected our leaders, well so what, that doesnt make them any better or more right than anyone else, look at Nazism in Germany before WW2 or Communism in Russia, they were the majority, were they right, I would not say so, but thats me(and I am not trying to compare our govt or leaders to either of those two). Do I think our President, Military, and the rest of the government needs to be held accountable, of course, every day there are bills that go through the Senate and House unread by the Representatives and Senators voting on them, all they sometimes get is a summary from one of their advisors. How can our government make informed decisions when those controling it arent even entirely informed themselves. If people don’t stand up for what they believe in and redress their grievances then we are really doing our troops an injustice, they do not fight for our president, our congressman, or state governments, they fight for freedom and the ideals of the Constitution and the fact that it is for the people and by the people, not a majority, but everybody, and the diverse, and ussually conflicting views they represent. Sorry for the long comment, I am sure people will disagree with me, but hey, thats their right.

On the subject of displaying the photos of “the vanquished” Uday, Qussay and now Zarqawi, let’s not forget who and what we’re up against. Israel let it be known at one time that their bullets had been dipped in pig fat because they KNEW this would unnerve and upset their enemies. So, to, does our displaying of the photos of the dead Islamists we’ve killed. You see, in their perverted, medieval view of Islam; this is a violation of its tenants but not so for more moderate Moslem’s, especially those for whom only a photo of the deceased is sufficient proof of their demise.
So I would say, keep it up guys! They already hate of for who we are and what we stand for so it is little more than excuse making by those who would seek to file criminal charges and thus pursue the War on Terror in court to venture a claim that this will make them hate us any more than they already do. It is instead far more demoralizing for them to see a photo of their dead leader than it is something that would enrage them any further. Ergo, can you say Psy-Ops?

Yes, we Americans (and most of the rest of the world) have different standards of respect with regard to the dead, and we are sickened and repulsed whenever terrorists drag bodies around in the streets & release videos of beheadings (i.e. Nick Berg). But Zarqawi was a piece of human debris – he deserves NO RESPECT! There is absolutely no comparison between the two – It’s like the Italian people during WWII parading the corpse of Mussolini around – they were so full of hate for that murderous thug responsible for countless brutal deaths…they did it exactly because of who this monster was – and to show would-be vermin that this will be your fate.

Too many Leftists miss the guiding principle of a Democracy – respect for the will of the majority! Individual rights are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights – and none have been lost lately. But, the functioning Democracy demands respect for the will of the majority. That simply means, the vote was taken and the action decided. Close debate, close ranks and get on with support for the majority decision.
Whether you are a member of a Church, Club, Civic Group or Citizen of the US, if you cannot support the will of the majority you should cease being a member of that organization. Period! Support can be light, neutral or almost nonexistent, but attacks are wrong.
The Left needs to wake up and realize they are on Karl Marx’ wavelength. Quit hating the US when a Republican is elected. Quit thinking a “loyal opposition” doesn’t have a duty to do the citizen’s business – in time of peace or war.
Yes, dammit, that means if you have nothing constructive to help on the war on terrorism, keep your damn mouth shut!! Or move on to France, Iran, North Korea – please take batteries and blankets, No. Korea can’t make electricty or power for you!!

You all missed the point. He is dead, gone, etc. Lets get the next guy

Personally, I agree with everyone, in a way. I thought hitting at the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan was a beautiful, and diliberate move, especially when it was implimented in such a short amonut of time after 9/11. BUT, I think we should of pressured Pakistan more. The Tribal areas of Pakistan are a dire threat, at least in term of supporting Taliban infiltration in to Afghanistan in the short term, and further internation terror attacks in the long term.
I’m no fan of President Bush’s policies, but I think we have to to accept that we are in a war, a “low intensity” and perhaps decades long conflict that will flare and fizzle over time. I think we have made mistakes in Iraq, but we HAVE TO hang in there and help bring this to some kind of suitable conclusion. Perhaps it really will create a snow ball effect of democracy, perhaps it won’t, but we have to try, if not for all the Iraqi and American lives that have been lost in the process.
“God Bless America”, regardless of your political views

many of the above comments are right on target… no man who has committed such hateful torture to humanity of any nation, deserves any respect or privacy or even a funeral. Bury the SOB and let him rot in the devil’s hell -o…
Were it your son or daughter you would NOT complain when he was killed. May the Almighty God of Eternal LOVE, speak to the hearts of this world before the nations of the East and North come to the Middle East to “try to fight” against Israel, whom God has and will protect … Read Ezek.37-39 Peace!