World Watch Focus: Al-Zarqawi, Ministers, and the USS Cole

20060609

     The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was indeed a significant event in the ongoing military operations in Iraq and in the greater struggle against the terrorism fueled by Islamic fundamentalism. Yet, al-Zarqawi’s death must also be seen in its proper context and within the confluence of events that represent that greater struggle, a perspective that has often been lost.

     Certainly, the death of al-Zarqawi was a blow to the forces of al-Qaeda in Iraq, to the foreign fighter insurgency, and to the jihadists around the world who seek to bring their fundamentalist Islamic message of subjugation and repression to the world by means of violence and fear, however his death will not stop these forces in the pursuit of their goals, either in Iraq or in the rest of the world. Instead, it will merely show them that they are not invulnerable and that sooner or later the forces arrayed against them will destroy them.

     The greater impact of al-Zarqawi’s death lies in its part of the ongoing events that define the struggle for Iraq. The day al-Zarqawi died, Iraq also successfully formed its complete cabinet, and the USS Cole sailed for the first time since it was attacked in 2000, which attack was purportedly planned by al-Zarqawi. When viewed from the perspective of the confluence of all of those events, the death of al-Zarqawi paints the picture of success, though long and obtained with difficulty.

     In truth, it is that confluence of events that represents the success that the US and its partners in the ongoing global conflict with Islamic fundamentalism should seek to achieve. No one particular event, whether it be the death of an enemy leader or the formation of a long awaited friendly government, will succeed in bringing about success in such a conflict, however such ongoing successes build on each other and will undoubtedly bring the victory the US seeks if they are pursued and continued.

     That ongoing pursuit of individual successes, whether they are in Iraq, Afghanistan, or in the myriad other places that are part of this global conflict, is the real lesson to be taken from the death of al-Zarqawi. Just as the capture of Saddam Hussein and the death of his sons arguably led to the ability of Iraq to hold multiple, successful elections and form a sovereign government, which arguably led to the kind of cooperation that allowed a-Zarqawi to be killed, so the death of al-Zarqawi should be used to cripple the foreign insurgency and take away the energy of ongoing sectarian violence that currently plagues Iraq.

     Further, the tenacity shown in the successful formation of the Iraqi cabinet, the resailing of the USS Cole, or even the mission that ultimately killed al-Zarqawi must be translated to the greater effort. Most importantly, these successes must be brought into the public eye, above the constant noise of the media and those who want to claim the conflict is already lost, as a constant reminder that success is being achieved and that victory is still achievable.

     Only when tangible success meets with the belief that future success can be achieved can the US and its partners in the struggle against fundamentalist Islam be assured of victory. The death of al-Zarqawi was one of those tangible successes, but it was not the ultimate success. When viewed in context, such success should act as a reminder that ultimate victory can be achieved and that many more successes like it must be achieved before that victory can be realized.

DLH