Rice: Zarqawi was 'diabolically brilliant.' Just like Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Slain al Qaeda in Iraq chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a "diabolically brilliant" war tactician, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, likening him to Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.

Zarqawi's successors are less talented, and less able to manage what may be a shift in Iraq away from sympathy for foreign-born fighters, Rice said in an interview. Zarqawi was killed by U.S. forces more than a year ago. Since then, the al Qaeda in Iraq network he led has suffered setbacks but has proved a resilient threat.

"He was diabolically brilliant," Rice said of Zarqawi. "I think he was an outstanding organizer, I think he had a kind of strategic sense, and I don't think the follow-on leadership has been quite as good," Rice said in the interview with Fox news.

It is wrong to dismiss Zarqawi's killing as a temporary or insignificant victory in the long fight against terrorism, Rice continued. "When you hear people say ... 'If you kill one of them, they'll just replace him with another leader,' remember that that's like saying, 'If you take out Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant, well, they'll just replace them with another leader.' " Rice said. "There are people who are better at this than others."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/25/rice.zarqawi.ap/index.html

[hobbit709]

1. Diabolically brilliant?

What does she know about that. She wants to be diabolical and brilliant she ain't.

[madrchsod]

2. ok...

you know, i`m not sure what to say about this statement....i just don`t know.

[tekisui]

3. The NEXT replacement could be even more diabolically brilliant.

[Supersedeas]

4. do you think President Grant would be appreciative of the comparison??