Zarqawi Killed

Iraqi and US authorities are jubilant at the killing of the most wanted militant leader in Iraq, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

In Islam, we are cautioned not to rejoice over the death other persons, even if they are our arch enemies. Even so, I'm sure many Iraqis (Shiites mainly) are happy to see him dead and are giving out sweets this afternoon.

Even Al-Qaeda leaders had taken to calling Zarqawi "the Sheik of Slaughterers" for his bloody campaign of bombings and beheadings. Iraqi insurgent leaders had reportedly stripped him of his leadership role months ago, and were probably the ones to betray him to the Americans.

Zarqawi could have been a much more beloved resistance figure if he didn't display such a gory appetite and sectarian bent (such as calling for the killing of Shiite "snakes"). The Sunni insurgents are probably relieved that such a notorious, visible, and polarizing figure has been removed from the battlefield.

The Shiites are less-likely to attack fellow Sunni Muslims in return for one of Zarqawi's attacks against them. Even with him dead, it is far from likely that the insurgency will diminish, however. The triumphant rhetoric ringing across the globe will almost certainly be drowned out by the blast of roadside bombs just as it did following the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Tags: Iraq