| Who was Abu Musab al Zarqawi? By Michel Chossudovsky GlobalResearch.ca Jun 12, 2006, 00:46 | Email this article Printer friendly page |
Mythical figure and terror mastermind Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed in an air raid, according to a statement of the Iraqi government.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki announced at a press conference . "We have eliminated Zarqawi." The head of US-led forces in Iraq, General George Casey, said the strike against an "isolated safe house" took place at 1815 (1415 GMT) on Wednesday. (BBC, 7 June 2006)
"Jordanian-born Zarqawi was said to have been in a meeting with associates at the time. Several other people were reported to have been killed in the raid. General Casey said Zarqawi's body was identified through fingerprints, facial recognition and known scars." (Ibid)
Zarqawi has been upheld both in official statements and the media as head of "the Sunni insurgency", leader of "al-Qaeda in Iraq", allegedly responsible for the the killings of thousands of civilians.
Intelligence Asset
The evidence suggests, however, that Zarqawi was part of a Pentagon disinformation campaign launched in 2003, which was initially intended to justify the US led invasion of Iraq. This central role of Zarqawi as an instrument of war propaganda was recently confirmed by leaked military documents revealed by the Washington Post.
The Pentagon had set up a "Zarqawi program". Military documents confirm that the role of Zarqawi had been deliberately "magnified" with a view to galvanizing public support for the US-UK led "war on terrorism":
"The Zarqawi campaign is discussed in several of the internal military documents. "Villainize Zarqawi/leverage xenophobia response," one U.S. military briefing from 2004 stated. It listed three methods: "Media operations," "Special Ops (626)"
(a reference to Task Force 626, an elite U.S. military unit assigned primarily to hunt in Iraq for senior officials in Hussein's government) and "PSYOP," the U.S. military term for propaganda work . . ." (WP. 10 April 2006)
An internal document produced by U.S. military headquarters in Iraq, states that "the Zarqawi PSYOP program is the most successful information campaign to date." (WP, op cit). (For further details see:
Who is behind "Al Qaeda in Iraq"? Pentagon acknowledges fabricating a "Zarqawi Legend" - by Michel Chossudovsky - 2006-04-18)
Is Zarqawi's Death Part of Pentagon PSYOP?
If indeed Zarqawi was fabricated to deliberately mislead public opinion, what are the implications of his death in the process of media disinformation? Is the killing of Zarqawi part of the Pentagon PSYOP program?
The Bush adminstration is already announcing "a post-Zarqawi era", suggesting that with the death of its presumed leader, the "insurgency" is in the process of being defeated. Zarqawi's death was an opportunity for the new government to "turn the tide", President Bush said. "The ideology of terror has lost one of its most visible and aggressive leaders."
The killing of Zarqawi has occurred at a time when Bush's public support is at an all time low, as confirmed by the opinion polls. In a press conference at the White House, Bush underscored the role of Zarqawi. as "commnders of the terrorist movement in Iraq. He led a campaign of car bombings, assassinations and suicide attacks that has taken the lives of many American forces and thousands of innocent Iraqis. Osama bin Laden called this Jordanian terrorist the prince of Al Qaida in Iraq. He called on the terrorists around the world to listen to him and obey him."
"Now Zarqawi has met his end and this violent man will never murder again." suggesting that the US has from now on the upper hand in Iraq. "Zarqawi's death is a severe blow to Al Qaida. It's a victory in the global war on terror, and it is an opportunity for Iraq's new government to turn the tide of this struggle."
Zarqawi's death has also served as a convenient coverup of the extensive war crimes committed by coalition forces in Iraq. The news coverage suggests that Zarqawi rather than coaltion forces are responsible for countless atrocities and civilian deaths. In the words of Don Rumsfeld, the man who led the criminal invasion and occupation of Iraq: "I think arguably, over the last several years no single person on this planet has had the blood of more innocent man, women and children on his hands than Zarqawi."
Historical Background: Who Was Musab Abu al Zarqawi?
The following text first publish in June 2004, provides details on the origin of the Zarqawi Legend and how this mythical figure was used by Us intelligence to justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Who is Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi?
By Michel Chossudovsky
June 11, 2004
The US intelligence apparatus has created its own terrorist organizations. And at the same time, it creates its own terrorist warnings concerning the terrorist organizations which it has itself created. In turn, it has developed a cohesive multibillion dollar counterterrorism program "to go after" these terrorist organizations.
Counterterrorism and war propaganda are intertwined. The propaganda apparatus feeds disinformation into the news chain.
The terror warnings must appear to be "genuine". The objective is to present the terror groups as "enemies of America."
The underlying objective is to galvanize public opinion in support of America's war agenda.
The "war on terrorism" requires a humanitarian mandate. The war on terrorism is presented as a "Just War", which is to be fought on moral grounds "to redress a wrong suffered."
The Just War theory defines "good" and "evil." It concretely portrays and personifies the terrorist leaders as "evil individuals".
Several prominent American intellectuals and antiwar activists, who stand firmly opposed to the Bush administration, are nonetheless supporters of the Just War theory: "We are against war in all its forms but we support the campaign against international terrorism."
To reach its foreign policy objectives, the images of terrorism must remain vivid in the minds of the citizens, who are constantly reminded of the terrorist threat.
The propaganda campaign presents the portraits of the leaders behind the terror network. In other words, at the level of what constitutes an "advertising" campaign, "it gives a face to terror."
The "war on terrorism" rests on the creation of one or more evil bogeymen, the terror leaders, Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, et al, whose names and photos are presented ad nauseam in daily news reports.
Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is presented to World public opinion, as the upcoming terrorist mastermind, overshadowing "Enemy Number One", Osama bin Laden. The U.S. State Department has increased the reward for his arrest from $10 million to $25 million, which puts his "market value" at par with that of Osama. Ironically, Al Zarqawi is not on the FBI most wanted fugitives list.
Al Zarqawi's Links to Al Qaeda
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