Zarqawi’s death a minor event

Zarqawi was created by the western media who wanted to put a "face" on the Iraqi enemy. It's hard for reporters to direct readers/viewers to develop a personal and long-term relationship to "someone who is directing bombers." News organizations need a real person to provide the viewer/reader focus for a movement. They needed a picture and a name to personalize the news of a bunch of Improvised Explosive Devices that was more than just the victims.

They chose a somewhat talented thug from Jordan who had gone through al Qaeda training. It helped that he had actually been connected to bin Laden, the previous principle face of anti-American Arab terrorism. Bin Laden became the worldwide face of terrorism, and Zarqawi has become bin Laden's face in Iraq. The media had a name, a picture and a pedigree or backstory on him, and he fit the role. It was more about creating a news narrative than it was about fighting the terrorists.

All a newsperson had to do to set the scene of a new story was to provide the name or picture of Zarqawi. Then they added whatever new item had become available at the time.

Building on that narrative, and building the narrative itself, were the Republican image builders. They are using that narrative and others like it to add fear to the general American public view of international events and Iraq. This fear is the life-blood of Republican reelection, since they can run on simplistic slogans while Democrats are stuck with the messy truths that do not fit the news narratives. [Hey, if invoking Zarqawi doesn't work, then the Republicans can jack up the Homeland Security terror level a notch or have the FBI arrest a bunch of "terrorists" here in the U.S. - sort of like the hapless guys in Miami. The old saying "The Truth will still be sitting on the bed putting its socks on as the lie spreads around the world." is very true. Check the latest things on the Miami terror cell.]

So Zarqawi is dead. There was a two-day rejoicing. Bush and the Republicans felt good. But the only real result of this is that there is now a worldwide search on for his replacement. Soon another face and name will pop up and he will become central to the new narrative. There are names and faces lined up to fill the role, in spite of the danger it presents. Everyone wants to become a TV hero/villain. “Famous” is more important than “Risky”.

But the next face and name will not be proposed by U.S. Intelligence people who know who to really be concerned about. That person will not be appropriate to star in his own media narrative.

Zarqawi's death has no real effect beyond forcing the change of the news narrative.