Raids Target Zarqawi Group

[daleo]

BAGHDAD — The United States conducted at least 56 raids against targets connected with Abu Musab Zarqawi's Al Qaeda in Iraq organization in the 48 hours after his death, seeking to capitalize on the killing by disrupting his network of fighters, military officials said.
...
U.S. officials also provided additional details of the Zarqawi attack, confirming that the insurgent leader survived for a few minutes after the house was hit by two 500-pound bombs. Caldwell said the Iraqi police officers who were first on the scene put Zarqawi on a stretcher, which was where he was when American forces arrived.

"Zarqawi attempted to sort of turn away off the stretcher," Caldwell said. "Everybody resecured him back on the stretcher, but he died immediately thereafter from the wounds he had received from the airstrike."

Before Zarqawi died, Caldwell said, he mumbled some words, but they were unintelligible. Caldwell also said Zarqawi had been badly bloodied and that coalition forces had "cleaned up his face" for otherwise unaltered photographs of his corpse.

[daleo]

1. Note the wording - "otherwise unaltered photographs of his corpse"

I know that elements of this story have been posted earlier, but this is a fresh angle. Note how the last sentence is phrased - I think they may be indirectly saying that there was some photoshop type enhancement going on. "Cleaned up his face" could mean with a washcloth on a body, or with a mouse on a computer. The awkward phrasing makes me wonder.

"Caldwell also said Zarqawi had been badly bloodied and that coalition forces had "cleaned up his face" for otherwise unaltered photographs of his corpse."

[Just Me]

2. Wait a minute,....hasn't it been PROVEN that network presented 5%,...

,...or less of the insurgency?

I hate this racket called "war" where the rich and reckless and amoral have their political constituents with military control direct operations upon indiscriminate targets, without due process or cause, mostly violating those completely innocent of any wrong-doing or crime against the war-mongers.

They certainly hate us, too, and,...if not dead, they'd return the injustice forced upon them. This circle of unjust and cruel human behavior is squarely upon the shoulders of those who deliver it. No RIP for them.