Truthdig - The Many Faces of Abu Musab al Zarqawi

Truthdig - The Many Faces of Abu Musab al Zarqawi: "http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/20060609_abu_musab_al_zarqawi/"

Zarqawi’s death was the greatest advertisement for his cause. He had already succeeded in provoking the civil war, the final spark being the Feb. 22 bombing of the Shia Askari Shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad. Zarqawi sought martyrdom and direct entry to paradise by fighting the infidels in Iraq. And in the eyes of his supporters, he succeeded --proving to aspiring jihadis around the world that Iraq is the place to go to if you want to enter paradise as a martyr slain by the infidels.

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More will come to replace Zarqawi and avenge his death. Iraq’s Shias will be blamed for Zarqawi’s death, and Shias in the region --perhaps even in Saudi Arabia, or in Lebanon, where sectarian tensions are rising—will find themselves targets of violence. Expect a new group, calling itself the Zarqawi Brigades (or battalions, or army), to claim responsibility for some major attacks on Shia targets.

Far from putting an end to the Iraqi insurgency, Zarqawi’s death will most likely prolong it.

More on Zarqawi and why he was at large for so long:

Avoiding attacking suspected terrorist mastermind - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com

Bush turned down chances to kill Zarqawi: ex-CIA spy. 01/05/2006. ABC News Online