The death of Al-Zarqawi, whether real or fictitious, is a major step in gaining positive public opinion in what has been a bloody quagmire for the US in Iraq. The Pentagon’s PR department has been in over-drive trying to convince the people that the killing of Al-Zarqawi has been a major blow for the insurgency and a major victory in America’s “War on Terror.” Totally ignored is the alleged massacre of Iraqi civilians by US forces in Haditha, the impending civil war between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, and attacks launched not by Al-Qaida but by Ba’athist loyalists. In reality, the situation in Iraq is getting worse.
However, the exaggeration is not surprising. Bush’s rating is hovering just above the 30 per cent mark, the government is facing huge problems with immigration, and the economy continues to regress. What better way to deflect attention from domestic matters than to declare the killing of a “terrorist mastermind” and glorify its outcomes in time for the midterm elections? The killing of Al-Zarqawi may also begin to justify US presence in Iraq under the pretext of “making progress” while ignoring other factors.
It is of paramount importance to acknowledge and examine the political motives of any government, rather than just to take blind satisfaction in the news it provides.
copyright Aurangzeb Qureshi 2006
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