October 25, 2004
THE BASTARDS FORMERLY KNOWN AS SCUM
Al-Zarqawi’s brave Iraqi resistance is taking credit for the murder of 48 unarmed army recruits:
The extremist group led by Iraq's most wanted man today claimed it carried out the shocking roadside massacre of almost 50 unarmed cadets.
An Islamist website carried a statement attributed to Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi's militants.
The new Iraqi soldiers were found dead beside a remote road after being executed by attackers while returning home from their final training course.
Incidentally, Mr al-Zarqawi would prefer that you referred to his little gang by its new name:
Posted by Tim Blair at October 25, 2004 03:22 PMThe militant group led by Iraq's most wanted man Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi has changed its name, linking itself to the al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden, according to statements published on an Islamist website.
In the latest statements which could not be verified, the group said it was now called "The Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers (Iraq)".
..the group said it was now called "The Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers..
Hmmm. That would be the Al-Qaeda that the international Left tells us was never in Iraq.
Posted by: The Mongrel at October 25, 2004 at 03:27 PMSounds like Zarqawi hired the Guardian's PR department. New name same terrorists.
Posted by: Jeremy at October 25, 2004 at 03:28 PMNew name, same terrorists.....and same target.
Posted by: The Real JeffS at October 25, 2004 at 03:32 PMHas Fat Boy gotten the news that his "minutemen" have scored another triumph for "social justice".
Posted by: YoJimbo at October 25, 2004 at 03:50 PMIt's official. Despite the left leaning media's state of denial,an Al Qaeda linked group IS indeed in Iraq. And we thought it was all just the work of a few irritable goatherders who were mourning the loss of their warm and fuzzy Uncle Saddam, and resentful of their Uncle Sam.
Posted by: Blake at October 25, 2004 at 03:51 PMNo doubt Michael Moore, John Pilger and friends are dancing in the streets (like the Palestinians on Sept 11).
It is a great pity that the supporters of terrorism aren't its first victims.
Posted by: Rod at October 25, 2004 at 04:07 PM"the group said it was now called "The Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers.."
It's like in the movie 'The Princess Bride' where the the original dread pirate Roberts had retired years before and was living happily in Patagonia.The name was the important thing to inspire fear.So now we have the Al-Queda franchise on terror being passed to the next generation.The only thing is that in the movie it was funny,this isn't.
It lends credibility to Bush's claim that they need to be fought in Iraq and not inside the democracies. A lot of bad guys are no doubt going to flock to this lunatics side. This is where they are making their stand.
Pity the Euros won't help.
It's going to be a nightmare for the Iraqi's in general.
Mr.Zarqawi needs to get himself a fuck instead of sublimating his homo-erotic tendencies by carrying a big knife and decapitating Westerners. Personally I'd like to go to work on him with a blowtorch and a pair of pliers, but he's doing a fine job killing Muslims so let's leave him alone, less for our grandchildren to have to deal with. The underlying question of course is why were these 'soldiers' unarmed? Sounds like an inside job to me, not that I care, my hatred of Muslims is implacable and absolute.
Posted by: Major L.M.Bloomfield at October 25, 2004 at 04:38 PMWhy were the cadets unarmed?
I'm tired of hearing about cadets or policemen being easy targets for terrrorists. I've lost count of the number of times policement or applicants have been murdered while queueing outside a building.
Posted by: Andjam at October 25, 2004 at 04:41 PMThis guy's running out of room and time as elections draw near and the Iraqi's take back control of that country. I think this is only in question for the U.S. political season. Election-year fog...
Posted by: Joe at October 25, 2004 at 05:01 PMI don't think the name change is going to work for him. After all, Prince's music was heaps better before he became "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince", wasn't it?
Posted by: Dylan at October 25, 2004 at 05:37 PMto be fair the bbc spares little in recounting this attrocity.
They were offloaded and shot through the head.
Poor kids RIP.
Why the hell are these kids not issued defensive weapons.
Again Zarqawi excells at what he does best - murdering the unarmed and defenceless.
Time for total war.
Yes but Tim, you're ignoring the most important point - that Zarqawi had a *reason* to slaughter of almost 50 unarmed cadets. It's OK if he has a reason.
Posted by: ArseofJohnMartinkus at October 25, 2004 at 06:58 PMTwo points should be made here.
Firstly the american genius who disbanded the army after the war should get the same treatment these poor buggers got,how can you possibly vet new recruits in a country like Iraq.
Secondly,why were they unarmed,soldiers who don't carry a weapon?
Sounds very suss to me,no one else in Iraq drives around without personal weapons and an escort with heavy machine guns.
Who said it was going to get worse before it gets worse?
Just another 40 odd Iraqis to add to the death toll which must be reaching 20,000 by now.Still,what the hell,the americans have never counted dead Iraqis,have they?
"The Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers (Iraq)"
Would that be translated more familiarly as "the Al-Qaeda of Jihad in Al Jazeera"? Doesn't al Jazeera mean 'between two rivers'. Did they use the phrase 'al Jazeera in their name? If so, I wonder why you don't see it in print. Al Jazeera [the terrorist's favourite propaganda outlet, not the terrorist group] doesn't give a name to Zarqawi's group in its report of the incident.
Posted by: Bulldog at October 25, 2004 at 08:09 PMThe article actually shortened the group's new and lengthy name. It should properly read:
"The Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers, One Now Flowing with Blood and the Other with Tears, Thanks Be to Allah and al-Zarqawi's Murderous Minions Who Would Drain Hope and Renewal from All Rivers of Life but Particularly Where Muslims Can Be Made to Suffer Further Oppression and Privation".
Whether the new label will be a strong recruiting point among Iraqis remains to be seen.
"Just another 40 odd Iraqis to add to the death toll which must be reaching 20,000 by now...."
20,000 dead Iraqis, I wish, but it sounds like a Chomsky/Pilger estimate to me, even if it was true it's still not enough, who fucking cares, is there a bag limit?
"Still,what the hell,the americans have never counted dead Iraqis,have they?"
That's because dead Iraqis don't count.
Posted by: Major L.M.Bloomfield at October 25, 2004 at 08:19 PMAh, dead Iraqis do count. We count the innocent out of grief and the terrorist/thugs out of relief.
Posted by: c at October 25, 2004 at 08:31 PMI don't know why you would blame the Americans if Saddam was still in power it would be more like 80k AND it is not the Americans doing the killing- if the terrorists stop it would be full steam ahead.
The only reason Iraq is not running on 8 cylinders is because the subhuman scum keep knocking out 2 cylinders-Just Get George Bush back with a mandate and make this liberation short and painful for many or allow the scum to make it drag out and on and on and on, making it brutal for many many many thousands at the cost of billions. GO READ Chenkoff and read about the real Iraqis.
GO GEORGE BUSH
"Ah, dead Iraqis do count. We count the innocent out of grief and the terrorist/thugs out of relief".
Iraqis are inbred primitives with prehistoric manners, unfit for anything but petty crime and random bloodletting. They stop beating their wives just long enough to let her squeeze out another deformed fundamentalist, they're just niggers with straight hair.
Posted by: Major L.M.Bloomfield at October 25, 2004 at 08:55 PM"Iraqis are inbred primitives with prehistoric manners, unfit for anything but petty crime and random bloodletting. They stop beating their wives just long enough to let her squeeze out another deformed fundamentalist, they're just niggers with straight hair."
I'm not as refined as most people here, so I'll do the deed. Piss off you moron.
Posted by: truss at October 25, 2004 at 09:02 PMtruss? isn't that a surgical appliance used to support ruptured testicles?
Mr. Truss please save the insults, I can't stand rejection from people I don't respect.
"Major" Bloomfield has been banned. I don't allow cave trolls to comment.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at October 25, 2004 at 09:47 PMWell Bloomfield, either you're the latest leftist troll trying his hand at what he thinks conservatives talk like around here, or you're just a major asshole. Either way, as truss said, piss off. Racists aren't welcome on this blog.
Posted by: PW at October 25, 2004 at 09:48 PMhmmm, maybe he's justin eagle's lover, andrea.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at October 25, 2004 at 10:25 PMI did boot camp one time - 1991 Army Reserve Puckapunyal - not very war-like I am afraid! But I vividly remember the bus-ride back from the final phase of the coursse. Everyone was dead-tired, glad to finish the ordeal and proud to have passed.
The Iraqi cadets must have been feeling something similar - until they realised what was in store for them at the check-point. I cant imagine what it must have felt like, being pulled off the bus, bound, forced to kneel and then, one by one, shot in the back of the head.
There are some pretty cold motherf***ers in the ranks of the insurgents.
Posted by: Jack Strocchi at October 25, 2004 at 10:34 PMJack,
Don't you mean "freedom fighters?" They are fighting for the freedom of Iraqis, right?
Andrea,
Thanks for shutting down Major Asshole. My blood was beginning to boil as I read down the comments.
It's an odd choice of screen names. Wasn't Major Bloomfield an RAF pilot and WWI hero?
I'm kind of with the "leftist fake conservative" troll theory.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at October 25, 2004 at 11:20 PMThe Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers
Doesn't France have two rivers?
Posted by: perfectsense at October 25, 2004 at 11:21 PM"Major Bloomfield" had a rather interesting email addy. franctireur@telstra.easymail.com.au
A quick google found this tidbit "The Franc-Tireur resistance group was formed in Lyons in 1941. Led by Jean-Pierre Lévy, the group was made up of socialists, communists and liberals committed to the idea of an independent republic."
Funny name for such a frothing 'right' thinking guy isnt it?
French, socialist, communist and liberals. Mmm subtle no? About the usual standard I suppose.
Posted by: DaveK at October 25, 2004 at 11:24 PMFirstly the american genius who disbanded the army after the war should get the same treatment these poor buggers got,how can you possibly vet new recruits in a country like Iraq.
Yeah, it would have been much easier to ensure the loyalty of a standing army known for its corruption, nepotism, and brutality.
The Iraqi Army of Saddam era was poorly trained, badly led by officers who were hated by their men (said hatred returned). It was an instrument of Saddam's repression, aggression, and genocidal lusts.
Can anyone tell me why such an institution should exist?
Iraq is better served by a new Army than the old one.
Posted by: Sheriff at October 26, 2004 at 12:44 AMThe answer to "there's your Iraq-Al Qaeda link", brought to you by the LLL: "Of course there's a link *now*, thanks to Bushitler."
"The Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Country of Two Rivers (Iraq)"
Nah, too long. How about we just call you "worm bait"?
Posted by: mojo at October 26, 2004 at 02:44 AMThe next 48 jihadis we capture we stake them out and give the mothers of those poor men buckets of salt and dull knives. It's culturally appropriate, and will send the right message to the rest of the murdering bastards formerly known as scum.
By the way Tim, that was an excellent headline for the story.
Posted by: Michael Lonie at October 26, 2004 at 02:49 PMAbu Musab Zarqawi, leader of the group Ansar al-Islam is one of the most dangerous Islamist terrorists currently active.this was the position back in march this year, and since then the absolute blood-lust of zarqawi has unfortunately been confirmed. subsequent revelations have also confirmed that the administration contemplated action but decided against it so as to not undercut the case for war on iraq.
He is the prime suspect for both the Karbala and Madrid atrocities and the alleged author of a letter setting out al Qaeda's strategy for jihad in Iraq.
Although he has become increasingly prominent in the past year, he has been well-known as a terrorist for many years.
For some years, until March 2003, Ansar al-Islam was based primarily at Kirma in Northern Iraq, in part of the region of Iraq generally controlled by the Kurds and included in the no-fly zone enforced by the US and UK. In other words, the group was an easy target for either a US air attack, a land attack by some special forces and/or Kurdish militia or a combination of the two. Nothing was done until the invasion of Iraq proper, by which time the group had fled.
but strangely, i have yet to see a single warblogger criticise bush for this scandalous failure to act, and i somehow doubt tim blair will be first. i'm guessing you lot think lame attacks at lefty straw men ["Guardian's PR department"; "another triumph for "social justice""; "Michael Moore, John Pilger and friends are dancing in the streets"; "It's OK if he has a reason"] are more important.
Posted by: snuh at October 26, 2004 at 08:41 PM