 May 25, 2005; While thousands of Iraqi police and troops round up hundreds of terrorist suspects in Baghdad, American troops have begun another sweep west of Baghdad, where al Qaeda has established bases since they were driven out of Fallujah late last year. Moreover, rumors that al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi had been wounded in action about a month ago, were given some confirmation when a pro-al Qaeda web site stated that al Zarqawi had been wounded and should be prayed for. If this is true, then the web site announcement appears to be an attempt to prepare al Qaeda supporters for al Zarqawi's death (which may have already taken place.) | Kind of like when a Soviet leader was reported to have come down with a cold, you knew they were getting the coffin ready |
Because al Qaeda has invested so much in building up al Zarqawi's image and stature, his demise would be a major blow to the terrorist cause. Just admitting, on a known al Qaeda web site, that al Zarqawi was wounded, is bad PR. Al Qaeda lives and dies by its public image. In the last few months, that image has been taking a major beating throughout the Arab world. |