Ahmad Fadheel Nazaal al-Khalaylah (“Abu Musab al-Zarqawi” is his nom de guerre) was born in Zarqa, Jordan in October 1966. He came from a large family belonging to the trans-Jordanian Bani Hassan tribe, which is known for its loyalty to the royal Hashemite family. He grew up in the al-Ma’ssoum slum, was an indifferent student and spent most of his time in the municipal cemetery (located opposite his home), which
June 9, 2006
More raids yield additional information on al Qaeda in Iraq; new terror leader identified
From Forbes: U.S. troops conducted nearly 40 raids Friday in Iraq, taking advantage of information gleaned from searches following Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s death, a military spokesman said, revealing new information about the man believed to be poised to take the terror leader’s place. Fearing reprisals, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also imposed a driving ban in Baghdad and in Diyala, fearing insurgents will seek to avenge his death. U.S. Maj. Gen.
June 8, 2006
FOXNews asks, “Is it unethical to celebrate Zarqawi’s death?”
A: No, Shep, it’s not. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to finish putting up the bunting and getting the 6’ sub ready for the party. Which, I decided to go with ham. Because I so enjoy the irony. **** (via Allah)
June 8, 2006
From the “It certainly could have been worse” files, #126
126. The plaintiff could have been a breeder of St. Bernards. Or a red-hot poker salesperson. So. Silver linings and what not. (h/t Beck)
June 8, 2006
Overheard inside a Baquba bunker, Thursday, June 8
First militant: “So…” Second militant: “So.” First militant: Second militant: First militant: “…Do you think he’s at least, you know—enjoying his virgins?” Second militant: “That depends, brother. Do you suppose Allah will permit him to saw their filthy heads off with a hunting knife once he’s done dribbling his seed on their bellies? Because otherwise, I doubt he’ll get much pleasure from them.” First militant: “Peace be upon him.” Second
June 8, 2006
Zarqawi: dead as a boot (UPDATED)
From CNN: A painstaking, weeks-long intelligence operation, acting on tips from Iraqi civilians, led to the U.S. airstrike that killed “al Qaeda in Iraq” leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the military said Thursday. The U.S.-led coalition’s most wanted man in Iraq was killed Wednesday in an Air Force attack on a safe house near Baquba, giving Iraq a chance to “turn the tide” in the fight against the nation’s insurgency, President
June 7, 2006
Iran and Diplomacy: chocolate and peanut butter? or oil and water?
In what he calls “diplomatic progress,” QandO’s Jon Henke is on board with the “package of incentives presented Tuesday to Iran” that “includes a provision for the United States to supply Tehran with some nuclear technology if it stops enriching uranium—a major concession by Washington, diplomats said.” Writes Henke: If properly negotiated, this could be a significant diplomatic achievement. We would have given up nothing we were not already legally
June 7, 2006
John Bolton’s straight-talking mustache, “Regis,” reacts to complaints by UN deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown that US criticism of the UN undermines the orgnanization’s mission
“Regis”: “Yeah, whatever. Just so long as Brown remembers that when I pinch him on his ass, that means I want him to run and fetch me a sandwich and a Snapple. And none of that peach iced-tea shit like last time, either. Some of us still take our masculinity seriously.”* (h/t rls)
June 7, 2006
CIAo, terrorist
Several people have sent me links to both the BBC and AP articles on those maddeningly difficult to pin down secret US prisons hidden throughout Europe. Natesnake likes this bit best, from Swiss Senator Dick Marty: “Even if proof, in the classical meaning of the term, is not as yet available, a number of coherent and converging elements indicate that such secret detention centers did indeed exist in Europe,” he