The results are in

The official word from DoD is that Zarqawi died of massive internal injuries due to being in proximity of the blast waves from two 500 lb bombs. They noted some other stuff, like a broken leg and some bruising. He held on less than an hour before learning the awful truth about the virgins.

Since those same injuries might also be consistent with a few boots about the head and torso, it's doubtful today's findings will put down all the conspiracy theories.

My initial question remains the same and I've yet to see it addressed, and that is, how did Zarqawi manage to 1) survive two massive bombs, and 2) in doing so, remain largely intact with possession of all his limbs?

Lacking a formal explanation it seems possible there might have been a bunker present in the safe-house, and that somehow, some way, somebody got the "duck, incoming" word to him at the last second. If such a thing did occur it suggests an ability to quickly translate and act on intercepted messages, which is not good.

MORE 6/12/06

Time mag is running an extensive "behind the scenes" story about the termination mission. Here they describe some of the cooperating sources:

But early this year, the secret task force's luck began to change. Tips came in from Iraqi insurgents, former Baath Party members loyal to Saddam, some of whom objected to al-Zarqawi's viciousness and attacks against Shi'ites

After the Golden Mosque attack the Butcher was supposedly shocked and outraged, too. He used the trial to preach a little about the sectarian violence:

"I call on the people to start resisting the invaders instead of killing each other," Saddam said.

A unified front would certainly keep Iraq from "going Shia" and becoming a ward of Iran, which would complicate his goal of getting the Ba'ath Party back in power someday (under the cover of Sunni Islamism, of course). But Saddam wasn't the only well-known figger to condemn Zarqawi's head-chopping, Shrine bombing ways. Both Usama and Zawahiri did likewise. The enemy of my enemy, and all.

Now we see the Shura Council has named a nom de guerre successor. It might be a somebody, or it might be nobody at all--they really just needed a name out there fast.

MORE 6/12/06

The allegation that US soldiers kicked the crap out of Zarqawi when he rolled off the stretcher was apparently a lot of hot air. The phenomenon of grossly mangled facts in a breaking news story shouldn't be surprising, rather it should be expected. Katrina was the perfect example.

The AP is now backpeddling. Surely a retraction will soon follow, right?

By the way, did anyone ever answer Rick Moran's question?

WHAT HE SAID 6/12/06

Hitchens has an elegant way of getting to the point:

It is customary to dismiss evidence of this kind with a brisk and pseudo-knowing sneer about the "secular" nature of Saddam's regime and thus its presumed incompatibility with theocratic fanatics. Quite how this CIA-sponsored "analysis" has survived this long is beyond me. At least from the time of its conclusion of hostilities with Iran, Baghdad became a center of jihadist propaganda and sponsorship. Saddam himself started to be painted and photographed wearing the robes of an imam.

He began a gigantic mosque-building program. He financed the suicide-murderers who worked against the more secular PLO. He sent money to the Muslim separatists in the Philippines. His closest regional ally was the theocracy in Sudan, which had been the host of Osama Bin Laden. (You can see a similar process at work with the other "secular" Baathist regime in Syria: It has long had very warm ties to the mullahs in Iran and to Hezbollah, and in its current and one hopes terminal phase, is forbidding all non-regime propaganda except the Islamist type.)

Read the whole darn thing.

QUESTION ANSWERED 6/13/06

Here's one answer to Rick Moran's question:

Still, the poll did find some signs that Americans are becoming more optimistic about Iraq — at least when looking at the long term. Sixty percent now say it's somewhat likely or very likely that the United States will ultimately find success in Iraq, a 5-point jump since last month.

More than half of Americans also say Iraq will eventually become a stable democracy, though it will take more than a year or two.

Of course the headline read, "Poll: Zarqawi Death Has Little Impact". SSDD.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY AL QAEDA 6/13/06

The "Al Qaeda media arm" announced today the name of the 20th hijacker. Apparently these announcements come from an internet site (has anyone bothered to check their IP?).

They once again reminded us Moussaoui was not, repeat not, part of the plan. The more they say it, the more suspicious it sounds. I'm starting to wonder exactly what Zacarious was up to over here. As was previously pointed out, he was training on the 747, not the 757 or 767 used on 9/11. Let's hope this tepid announcement was not a coded go-order.

But it was more likely a last minute attempt to throw something out to mute Bush's very effective surprise visit to Baghdad and to address the announced crackdown in Baghdad. "Al Qaeda in Iraq" also issued a statement from their new nom de guerre leader, who threatened widespread head rolling, yada yada, yada.