Positive news rarely comes out of Iraq anymore. Sure leadership is elected, hostages rescued, and small groups of police are trained, but nothing that is ever seen as especially monumental. The last I can remember is the capture of Saddam Hussein, but little else of significance--until today. Yes, if you came within range of any sort of news service (CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, etc.) you should know that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of the insurgency in Iraq, was killed by coalition forces earlier this week. Rarely does news emerge from Iraq that is equally celebrated by many Iraqis and coalition forces, not to mention both republicans and democrats in Washington.
Al-Zarqawi seems to have been betrayed by members of his own organization, leading to his demise. The media immediately took hold of the story, some lauding a major blow for coalition forces and others cautioning that the assassination will engender no serious change in Iraq's state of affairs. Just as the US Ambassador to Iraq, President Bush, and many other top officials have noted, this is by no means the end of the insurgency. As was noted by experts in the past about Osama bin Ladin, perhaps removing a top official was akin to removing one of the mythological hydra's heads, a head that would simply regrow on the angry beast (US officials claim that they already "have a name in mind" that will replace al-Zarqawi). I'm not so sure there will be no effect, but the insurgency was quite disparate already. It isn't disorganized by any means but is largely driven by individual actors who will operate no matter who is leading the larger organization. On the upside, organized, large-scale attacks will probably be much less likely.
The victory here is for coalition forces, no matter what the long-term implications will be. Perhaps there will be no change to the degree and frequency of the attacks in Iraq, but in the short-term perceptions are affected. Every once in a while Iraqis need to see a dictator pulled out of a hole, participate in the toppling of a statue, or experience a feeling of increased safety after the death of a figurehead. These small, media-powered events may not be significant in terms of the larger picture, but engender greater confidence among the people. For now, Iraqis interested in a peaceful future have a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. The relief President Bush and coalition leaders are experiencing, hoping to stem the tide of discontent...
...for a day, at least.
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