Iraq & Zarqawi - what you'll never see in American Media

From the Arab News:

Editorial: Turning Point

Arab News | June 9, 2006 | Staff

The outpouring of joy with which Iraqis from all communities have greeted the news of the death of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, says everything. They, Sunnis and Shiites alike, are sick of the endless slaughter of innocents for which Zarqawi was often responsible and for which he, with his infinite capacity for cruelty, became the incarnate symbol. They are sick of the kidnappings, the beheadings, the suicide bombings which he organized or inspired. The removal of this monster, who will go down in history as the most evil person in the Middle East for well over a century give Iraqis a chance to believe in the future once again, to hope that it will be better. They can believe it because they know that while the death of this publicity-seeking thug who clawed his way over the corpses of thousands by an absolute ferocity to the very peaks of depravity and notoriety will not end the violence, it will drain it. This may be the beginning of the end of the so-called Sunni insurgency which Zarqawi spearheaded (a misnomer if ever there was one — the overwhelming majority of Iraqi Sunnis are as revolted by the mass slaughter of Shiites as everyone else).

The dividends from hunting down and removing terrorist leaders have been seen in Saudi Arabia where the militants have been broken. The difference with Iraq of course is the power vacuum there and while that continues the chances of someone stepping into Zarqawi’s boots cannot be ruled out. But Zarqawi was not the only person killed in yesterday’s air raid; others close to him were killed as well. His web of death which extended beyond Iraq — he was linked to the bombings in Amman in November and in Istanbul and Casablanca in 2003 — has been torn apart. His removal will embolden ordinary Iraqis to provide greater information about the militants. More are likely to be captured and killed in the weeks ahead.

Zarqawi’s elimination could therefore prove a psychological turning point for Iraq — the chance to rebuild and reunite, to reconcile Iraqi with Iraqi, to put fear behind them. It is the most significant event in Iraq since the capture of Saddam Hussein. It provides a tremendous boost to the government of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki who has made reconciliation his priority — rightly so, for without it, there is no hope of ending the insurrection, no hope of ending the fear and suspicion on which the violence thrives. Happily, by pure chance, Zarqawi’s appointment with death came just a day after the first of 2,500 prisoners, mostly Sunnis, were set free in a reconciliation initiative.

The Iraqis have reason then to hope. They know that the violence will continue but the giant shadow of death stalking the streets of their cities daily has been removed. The worst may be past. And not only for Iraqis. Jordanians, Moroccans, Turks too will rejoice.

We can all rejoice. The death of Zarqawi makes the world a safer place. A notable victory in the global war against terrorism has been achieved.

You won't find stuff like this on MSM