Friday June 9, 2006

I've Been Thinking:

Terror in Iraq is not about a single individual.
Yes, al Zarqawi was charismatic and magnetic and daring. Yes, he drew many adherents to the cause. Yes, his death disrupts the command and control operations of the terror network.
Yes, another leader, a new terror-chief, will emerge and take his place.

Cutting off the head of the serpent is an enormously significant victory in fighting terror.
It boosts morale - for soldiers and for citizens - in the battle against terror.
But unless we also successfully target mid-level operatives - the people who really get their hands dirty, the people who will be rising in the ranks - as well as high-level coordinators it will only be a matter of a few months if not weeks before a new organization emerges.
In order to capitalize on the hole left by the death of their leader, in order to make it more difficult to re-group and re-organize, we must incapacitate the entire movement for several years.

Command and control of al Zarqawi's unit has been disrupted.
But al Zarqawi's brand of terror has only been injured, not eliminated.
Now is the time to strike.