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Iraq
Zarqawi 'died of blast injuries'
2006-06-12
Militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi died from injuries consistent with the results of a bomb blast, US military officials have said. Questions had arisen over how he had died after the Americans revealed he had still been alive following the bombing of a safe house by US planes.

US military officials said an autopsy had revealed that the cause of death was a blast injury to the lungs. DNA analysis had confirmed the corpse was Zarqawi's, they added. US military doctor Col Steve Jones said the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq had "no evidence of beating or any firearm injuries".

His spiritual adviser Sheikh Abd-al-Rahman was killed instantly in the US air strike on Zarqawi's safe house near the city of Baquba on Wednesday, Col Jones said.
Posted by:Steve

#27  LOL, tw! I wasn't being quite so magnanimous... Altruism comes in a distant second, I'm afraid. Sorry, 6, LOL.
Posted by: flyover   2006-06-12 21:44  

#26  Are you feeling less faint than last night, 6 dear? flyover was quite concerned.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-06-12 21:39  

#25  Gotter yur pike right here.
Posted by: 6   2006-06-12 20:56  

#24  What kind of moron thinks it's ok to send two 500 pound bombs up Zarq's behind but then worries about whether they shot him or beat him if he managed to breathe for a while afterward? Live by the Bomb; die by the Bomb. He reaped what he sowed. He's lucky they didn't put his head on a pike. MSM idiocy sunk to ever new lows.
Posted by: RU Kidding   2006-06-12 19:23  

#23  ed, the Good News Man, LOL. What a roll-up!
Posted by: flyover   2006-06-12 18:50  

#22  ABC News reports US troops reached him 28 minutes after the bombing and he died 52 minutes after the bombs. That's one long "Oh Shit" moment. Also 60 followup raids netting 210 terrorists so far.
Posted by: ed   2006-06-12 18:46  

#21  CF, Don't forget the showing off for the boss angle and the One of our ace reporters asked andle and the ask it slightly differently and you might trip them up angle. These guys thin they're a combination of Perry Mason and Madonna.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-06-12 18:00  

#20  Moose: I saw a picture of the 500lb bomb casing. As thin as eggshell. It was a concussive bomb, which is why he wasn't torn to shreds, just had his insides turned to jelly.

I guess this is equivalent to what happens when you shake an uncooked egg really hard - the yolk breaks even before you crack the egg open.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2006-06-12 17:12  

#19  The fact that the 'journalist's keep asking the same stupid and leading question time after time after time implies that they are not looking for information but a soundbite to plug into the evening news. The fact that they are wasting their time asking the same stupid irrevelant questions strongly implies that they are not there to 'get the news' but to 'make the news' by getting someone to make a mistake and say something which can then be twisted to their own ends.

Meaning they keep asking 'Have you quit beating your wife?' again and again in hopes that the person will answer 'yes' or 'no'. And even if they dont answer either of those the lead story will be 'so-and-so would neither comfirm or deny that he has stopped beating his wife.'.

I know not all journalists are this way. But it seems that most of them (and those who ask the questions) are.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2006-06-12 16:24  

#18  LiberalHawk - having a son about to graduate from one of the top journalism schools I have discussed this with him in depth.

My conclusions are a bit different than most folks. It is obvious to me that in its hate of anything modern and "techy" the teachers in these instutions are trying to discourage there students from the scientific method, logic and deduction.

It's quite sad. I don't know if its because they themselves are not smart enough to truely understand how things work and rode the liberal age of the 60's into the media and their teaching positions but it really needs to stop.

Example. The son took an advanced genetic engineering course and did so well he got an A and fan mail from the professor. That said the department sent him a letter of reprimand for taking a science course outside of the dumbed down "science for journalists".

It just another example of the schools wanting to turn out dumb journalist that sound what they know what they are talking about.

While your at it just look at the dumb questions asked in press conferences and interviews. Really dumb. Not left or right but DUMB.

Then when something is professed to be known they just show themselves to be idiots.

Two instances come to mind.
Today I saw an (overseas) publication whine about the US dropping two 500lb daisy cutters on Zarqboy.

Really? A daisy cutter ways 15,000 lbs or 30 times as much! That's before you even talk bang. If Zarkboy had been hit with a daisy cutter I doubt that even a red smear would mark his resting place.

The second is the whole NSA listening in bit. Nobody visited the text of the CALEA WIRETAP LAW of 1994 (Clinton time) which made all this stuff and more not only legal but required. At that point one can whine about CALEA but not those doing what CALEA requires! It was a democratic party inspired law!

One more and I will quit. The whole world was whineing about a big conventional bomb explosive test in Nevada to be done this june. I and others in Rantburg looked at the STATE OF NEVADA EPA filing and discussed what the test meant. Not one reporter visited that public text. I assume they were too stupid to think BOMB TEST IMPLIES EPA FILINING!


Posted by: 3dc   2006-06-12 15:45  

#17  Nimble,

I live in Mass., the fact that the MSM questions were answered is unconnected to what will be reported regarding those questions. Of course CENTCOM had to answer or be charged with a coverup. The questions should never have been asked.

Note that the questions on their face are leading questions, not to mention unserious and ignorant. They were looking for some statement that they could spin into more military bashing.

Have YOU stopped beating YOUR wife yet?

As was plainly stated in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the MSM do not consider themselves Americans, they consider themselves "citizens of the world". Therefore, Americans, and especially the military are their enemy. Without Americans, THEY would be part of the World Elite Ruling Class. It's there destiny, doncha know?
Posted by: AlanC   2006-06-12 15:21  

#16  btw. the Washington Post yesterday had at the top of the front page an article about the Sergeant of the USMC squad accused in the Haditha incident, and his detailed denial of any wrong doing. That was the first Id heard of that - WaPo either broke the story, or was at least putting it out there.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-06-12 13:06  

#15  but its definitely good that they ask probing questions at press conferences. If you think theyve twisted something in their reporting, you should post it. Asking these questions, when rumor of these things was already floating around, was perfectly appropriate - and like I said, beneficial, cause it enabled them to be shot down.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-06-12 13:02  

#14  ' LH, I have a great deal of respect for you as one of the (very few) rational liberals. So, as a test...how about you let us know all of the MSM stories that accurately report (and where) exactly what Centcom said in answer to these questions.'

i dont have time, im afraid. This press conference was heavily reported on.

Some reporters spin, and yes, the prevailing bias of the MSM is left. But IMHO they have reported the gist of major Centcom briefings prety straight. But then i dont read and watch everything, so i couldnt vouch for that. YMMV.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-06-12 13:00  

#13  Whoa, AlanC. Are you saying we are better off having the questions unanswered by Centcom with the MSM free to make up whatever answer is fake but accurate or having Centcom make its answer publicly available so that eveyone can see how much the MSM distorted it? I think LH chooses the later, though perhaps not so bluntly stated, and I agree.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-06-12 12:03  

#12  LH, I have a great deal of respect for you as one of the (very few) rational liberals. So, as a test...how about you let us know all of the MSM stories that accurately report (and where) exactly what Centcom said in answer to these questions.

For extra credit, imagine how accurate and prominent the reporting would have been if the answers had been....

Was he dressed? - Yes, but we stripped him and covered him in bacon.
Was he given first aid? - Well, do you consider dropping acid in his eyes first aid?
Did they clear his airway? - Yes, so that we could more easily feed him his own dismembered parts.

You seem like a nice guy LH, but, when it comes to the MSM you've got those rose colored glasses nailed on.
Posted by: AlanC   2006-06-12 11:53  

#11  "actually those questions give Centcom the chance to clarify the truth, for everyone. Better to have the questions asked and answered then to leave them hanging amidsts innuendo"

Must have been a wonderful childhood being raised in a turnip patch.

Centcom can explain and clarify all it wishes. If those tasked with relaying the news do not consider it the truth, then all the explanations and illuminations are the equivalent of trying to teach the pig to dance.
Posted by: Fordesque   2006-06-12 11:28  

#10  NO SHIT SHERLOCK!!!
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2006-06-12 11:19  

#9  According to other media reports, Zarqawi lived for some 52 minutes after the bombing. One can only hope those were the longest 52 minutes of his entire life.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-06-12 11:18  

#8  LH - facts have no place in Arab mythology news Frank, facts have no place in the MSM in the US.
Posted by: JohnQ   2006-06-12 10:19  

#7  Let's demonstrate.....You stand here........
Posted by: ARMYGUY   2006-06-12 10:09  

#6  LH - facts have no place in Arab mythology news
Posted by: Frank G   2006-06-12 09:34  

#5  Except the press only asks them because they think they've uncovered more barbaric behavior from the US military.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-06-12 09:33  

#4  I saw a picture of the 500lb bomb casing. As thin as eggshell. It was a concussive bomb, which is why he wasn't torn to shreds, just had his insides turned to jelly.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2006-06-12 09:32  

#3  actually those questions give Centcom the chance to clarify the truth, for everyone. Better to have the questions asked and answered then to leave them hanging amidsts innuendo.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-06-12 09:11  

#2  my "give a sh**" meter is lower for the MSM than Zarq....almost.
Posted by: anymouse   2006-06-12 09:07  

#1  Fox is carrying the Centcom briefing. Could the reporters be any dumber and care more about poor Abu Maggot Zarqawi's death? Was he dressed? Was he given first aid? Did they clear his airway? Yadda yadda....assholes
Posted by: Frank G   2006-06-12 09:05  

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