Is He Dead?

So Much For The Terror Boss In Iraq


The Iraqi Prime Minister is claiming the al Qaeda leader in Iraq abu Mussab al-Zarqawi is dead. Even the NYT is running with it, so it must be fact.

At a joint news conference with Iraq's prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the top American military commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., said Zarqawi's body had been positively identified by fingerprints, "facial recognition" and known scars. He said seven of Zarqawi's associates had also been killed in the strike.

The announcement of Zarqawi's death, shortly before noon today in Baghdad, appeared to mark a major watershed in the war. With a $25 million U.S. bounty on his head, the Jordan-born Zarqawi has been the most wanted man in Iraq for his leadership of Islamic terrorist groups that have carried out many of the most brutal attacks of the war, including scores of suicide bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.

"Today, we have managed to put an end to Zarqawi," said a beaming Mr. Maliki, who took office three weeks ago at the head of Iraq's first full-term government since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. He said the death should be a warning to other insurgent leaders. "They should stop now," he said. "They should review their situation and resort to logic while there is still time."

The announcement came on the same day that Mr. Maliki's new government took a crucial step forwarde by winning Parliamentary approval of nominees for interior and defense minister, which had been blocked by disagreements between political parties.

American and Iraqi officials all muted their high spirits today with a recognition that violence is bound to continue, a point underscored by a midday blast in eastern Baghdad that killed at least a dozen people, news services reported.

"Unfortunately, this kind of violence has become routine," Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in a televised interview.

I guess if they're wrong the onus is now back on al-Zarqawi to claim otherwise; he can always pop up and claim "I'm not dead yet!"

Asking For It, And More Of It
Iran, meanwhile keeps sedning mixed signals to the world. Here's an article saying they're ready for nuclear talks.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday Iran is ready to discuss “mutual concerns” over its nuclear program and claimed the West had given in to the will of the Iranian nation.

Mr. Ahmadinejad did not say whether Iran accepted a Western proposal for resuming negotiations that demands Tehran suspend uranium enrichment in return for a package of incentives .

“On behalf of the Iranian nation, I'm announcing that the Iranian nation will never hold negotiations about its definite rights with anybody, but we are for talks about mutual concerns to resolve misunderstandings in the international arena,” Mr. Ahmadinejad told thousands of people in Qazvin, west of the capital Tehran.

Here's one saying they're not going to negotiate on iota.

“We will never ever make any concessions or negotiations on our legitimate right and will not allow the West to tell us what to do and what to decide,” the president said in a speech in Qazvin, central Iran, which was broadcast live on the news network Khabar.

“The West would make a grave mistake in believing that the Iranian nation would negotiate about its destiny because Iran would not retreat one iota from its undeniable rights to pursue peaceful nuclear technology,” Ahmadinejad added.

Now, go figure whether they sound like they want to talk or not on the basis of that noise. The funny thing is, Washington's willing to talk. It's a great time to come in from the cold. Muamar Gaddaffi did it; it's not inconceivable for Iran.

Meanwhile there's this gem.

Everyone knows where Iran’s nuclear weapons will be aimed. Everyone knows they will be put on Shahab rockets, which have been modified so that they can reach Israel. And everyone knows that if the button is ever pushed, it will be the end of Israel.

But it gets worse. The president of a country about to go nuclear is a confirmed believer in the coming apocalypse. Like Judaism and Christianity, Shiite Islam has its own version of the messianic return—the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam. The more devout believers in Iran pray at the Jamkaran mosque, which houses a well from which, some believe, he will emerge.

When Ahmadinejad unexpectedly won the presidential elections, he immediately gave $17 million of government funds to the shrine. Last month Ahmadinejad said publicly that the main mission of the Islamic Revolution is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam.

And as in some versions of fundamentalist Christianity, the second coming will be accompanied by the usual trials and tribulations, death and destruction. Iranian journalist Hossein Bastani reported Ahmadinejad saying in official meetings that the hidden imam will reappear in two years.

So a Holocaust-denying, virulently anti-Semitic, aspiring genocidist, on the verge of acquiring weapons of the apocalypse, believes that the end is not only near but nearer than the next American presidential election. ... This kind of man would have, to put it gently, less inhibition about starting Armageddon than a normal person. Indeed, with millennial bliss pending, he would have positive incentive to, as they say in Jewish eschatology, hasten the end.

That would be our friend in Tehran, Ahmadinejad, would it not?

Dachshund of Victory
That's right. The Japanese soccer team have brought in the big guns; they have brought to Germany a mascot dachshund 'Rommel' (hah!) that has never seen the Japanese team defetaed.

【ボン８日共同】ジーコジャパンに強力な援軍が登場—。日本チームに同行すると負け知らずという“不敗神話”を持つ雄のダックスフント、ロンメル君（10歳）が8日、ワールドカップ（Ｗ杯）日本代表のキャンプ地ボンに到着した。

　日本サッカー協会の手嶋秀人広報部長の愛犬。2002年日韓大会の際、日本代表が合宿していた静岡県の取材拠点に「癒やしになれば」と連れて来ると、日本は１次リーグを突破するなど、試合会場や記者会見場に姿を見せた18試合は軒並み無敗。ドイツ大会のアジア最終予選バーレーン戦にも、ジーコ監督が写真を持って行ったほどだ。

　高齢のため“海外遠征”は最初で最後になるが、手嶋部長は「ロンメルの力も借り、まずは１次リーグを確実に突破したい」と話している。 (19:57)

If they're doing this, they must be either clutching at straws or they are unbelievably superstitious. It's a dog. With short legs. Called 'Rommel'. I guess the World Cup is in Germany.

Wallabies Pick Four Rookies
Just as a side note, I noticed this article.

Four players will make their debut for the Wallabies against England on Sunday, with prop Rodney Blake, hooker Tai McIsaac, and reserve backs Cameron Shepherd and Josh Valentine all named in a 22-man squad on Thursday.

Wallabies coach John Connolly has opted for a totally new front row to the one that was demoralised by the European teams during Australia's northern hemisphere tour last year.

Greg Holmes, McIsaac and Blake will start up front with veteran hooker Jeremy Paul and 31-Test prop Al Baxter on the reserves bench.

For McIsaac, who started the year as the reserve hooker at the Western Force behind Wallabies stalwart Brendan Cannon, making his debut in the national team was a big surprise.

"My main goal at the start of the year was to just play some games for the Western Force and the try to cement a place in the starting team," McIsaac said.

"You always think about the Wallabies team, but it was not something I thought would happen. But the way things have gone, with the injury to 'Canns' (Brendan Cannon) I took my opportunity and here I am."

The ex-Australian representative water-polo player didn't take up the sport of rugby until he was 24-years-old and then quickly progressed through the ranks, playing Super 12 rugby with the Queensland Reds before accepting an offer with the Western Force.

During his time with the Queensland As, McIsaac packed down in many scrums with prop Blake, so lining up alongside his old teammate will be a kind of homecoming for the wily rake.

"Yeah we played a few games together in Queenslands A, and I am not sure but we might have played at least one game with Holmesy as well."

Changing of the guard going on in th Wallabies too. It was about time.