al-Zarqawi

He is a terrorist.
He is America's no. 1 enemy.
He is hated by the Shiites.

He is a hero for the those anti-American-occupation.
He is a martyr for his al-Qaeda fellows.

He is a man I don't know.
But he is the man today I want to remark.



First, look at this picture and see his face. Do you find a hostility or friendship? (I will not comment on this)

Second, the context is a war in a land whose no master rules. The dictator Saddam has been arrested, while the new prime minister and president have only de jure power, symbolically they are in charge but in fact they have no power over the country. Chaos and anarchy are the best words to describe Iraq today. In such a situation, how we define the good guys and the bad ones? It would depend on who has more power.

Third, Iraq is a fragile land where so many players has torn apart the country. There is Shiites, the majority who have been for decades under repression of Saddam Hussein. They want their rights. There are also important religious and ethnic minorities. Who can say that they were not oppressed by Saddam? They also have rights. And the last, there is a foreign, strangers, nothing to do with the country but has came here to intervene. Do they have any right?

Fourth, I read an article a couple weeks ago about the US, Shiite, and Sunni. The article mainly dealt with Iranian issue. It argues that the bitter media hostility between the US and Iran is no more than a game, political drama well played by Shiite and the US. They are "friend" and nothing would happen. The US has helped Iran to topple its great enemies, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the drama will be closed in a happy ending for both Iran and the US. Now, what the article predicted a couple weeks ago close to the reality: the US will start negotiating with Iran and is committed to help it. Can I say, following this story, the US help Iraqi Shiites to kill the most dangerous Sunni in Iraq?

Fifth, I admired Nick Berg, a father who lost his son in Iraq. His son was kidnapped and beheaded by Zarqawi's group. He said, "I have learned to forgive a long time ago, and I regret mostly that that will bring about another wave of revenge from his cohorts from al Qaeda." To him, he is not happy about Zarqawi's death. He said that if he had been happy, he simply had justified what Bush has done with the war. (Click here for his full interview with CNN).

Six. Let's pray for Nick Berg and those who lost their beloved one(s).