Al Zarqawi

The insanity of war - not only our war in Iraq, but all war - has been reinforced by the news today that the leader of the insurgents in Iraq who come from outisde the country (Jordan in this case) has been killed. Since we have associated him, at least in reports by our government, with the worst of the danger we face there, you might think there would be rejoicing over his death. In fact Defense Secretary Rumsfeld (who reports say President Bush's father tried unsuccessfully to unseat last year in an attempt to rescue his family and the nation from further embarrassment) warned that this was likely to stir up more violence in retribution.

The price of oil rose on world markets for fear of much the same thing.

So, one might ask, what success might we have on the battlefield that would move forward our stated goal of a lasting peace in that tortured region?

I daresay what we have stupidly acheived is to move ther clock back to pre WWI days when the various groups now fighting against each other were tribal groups with different interests who had no intention or expectation of coming together as a single nation. Western powers created Iraq out of disparate groups because it suited our interests. And by means of military force - first British, then ruthless dictators like our then ally Saddam Hussein - the country remained a country.

When we removed Hussein the door was open for the groups who have waited all these years to return to their battle against each other.

We are a stiff-necked, short-sighted nation.