TIME: Is Zarqawi the New Bin Laden?

[johnfunk]

Could be...

Is Zarqawi the New Bin Laden?
A report says the Iraqi's global influence is growing
By BRUCE CRUMLEY

Sunday, Aug. 28, 2005 / time.com / Al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, was rumored to be gravely injured or dead just a few months ago. Since then, his organization is believed to have been behind barbaric attacks in Iraq and has even claimed responsibility for a failed rocket assault on a U.S. ship in the Red Sea. It's hard to separate the man from the mythology, but recent European intelligence reports reviewed by TIME suggest that al-Zarqawi's al-Qaeda franchise is expanding far beyond Iraq and that he now rivals Osama bin Laden in influence among Middle Eastern and European jihadists.

Al-Zarqawi has been overseeing preparations by highly trained operatives for a "large scale" terrorist attack in Europe, the reports claim. In communications with another al-Qaeda leader, he has spoken of sleeper cells in Turkey and Iran. The reports imply that these cells may be in contact with European jihadist groups that previously had no links to al-Qaeda. "The fear is we'll see these disparate, relatively inexperienced groups around Europe hook up with Afghan-trained terror cells, all under the influence of Zarqawi," says independent French terrorism expert Roland Jacquard, who says he has seen intelligence similar to that in the reports. "That could reverse the atomization of cells and networks that occurred after the invasion of Afghanistan."

European officials say the reports are based in part on U.S. officials' interrogation of suspected al-Qaeda deputy Abu Faraj al-Libbi, captured last May in Pakistan.

Is it just me, or -- with Osama nowhere to be found and not as visible -- is the BFEE looking for a new Emmanuel Goldstein?

[teach1st]

1. What's wrong with the old one?

Well, except for the fact that we let him go.

[leesa]

3. And he's long dead. Best not to keep harping on about someone

they can't possibly produce.

Both are fantasies anyway to keep the Neocon agenda of Mulim hate alive.

[seemslikeadream]

2. BFEE BUDDIES

BUDDY BUDDY

DO THE MATH

24 MINUTES

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A MILITARY ORDER

http://www.bushflash.com/buddy.html

[Lorenzo]

4. CNN had a stock picture

Since the War Against the American Invadors is an international campaign, with mujahedeen coming from over 50 nations, there's no reason to believe Al Zarqawi is any more important than the other leaders of the campaign.

It's just that CNN had a stock picture of the man, and so he became an icon.

American media have no bearings with reality. We should not forget this.

Al Zarqawi is just one of the hundreds of mujahedeen leaders who are fighting the Americans in Iraq.

[tom_paine]

5. Is Bin Laden the New Goldstein?

You betcha'!

http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/

[yurbud]

6. Any chance we could get platform to call bullshit on the Zarquawi myth?

I'm pretty sure Osama was or is a real person, whatever his relationship to the Bushies.

Zarquawi seems to be about 99% pure bullshit though.