Let It Get Ugly

Well, it has been, like, almost an entire week since something has been written here about politics. And considering how ugly this most recent story of two kidnapped U.S. soldiers in Iraq is playing out, now's as good a time as any.

I watched the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer this evening and learned about Zarqawi's al Qaeda successor personally performing the executions. I realize that when the press refers to these sort of actions, descriptions like "slit the throats" or "beheadings" connotes an image of quick death—like the single swipe of a sword or knife. But anybody who saw the tape of the Nicholas Berg beheading knows just how far that is from the truth. The deaths are neither quick nor certainly not painless.

But when it came to analysis on the NewsHour, guests Lawrence Wright and Alexis Debat really offered up some more chilling insights (emphasis added):

LAWRENCE WRIGHT: Well, it was, you know, the Zarqawi organization which in the beginning was independent of al-Qaida. He had always kept a certain distance between himself and bin Laden, although, as Alexis notes, there was a sponsorship on the part of the Egyptians.

When he got to al-Qaida, he made himself known by blowing up the U.N. compound, by attacking moderate Shia, by killing one of the major ayatollahs there, and then made application to join al-Qaida.

And, for about a year, there was deliberation apparently over the issue of how much he should target the Shiites in Iraq. And, finally, bin Laden did endorse him and allowed him to use the brand name of al-Qaida. And that's how we got al-Qaida in Iraq.

JIM LEHRER: Is going after these American soldiers a shift in what the recent strategy was under Zarqawi?

LAWRENCE WRIGHT: Yes. Zarqawi was really targeting Shiites; he was not really after the Americans. His goal was to provoke a civil war.

And I think that both bin Laden and Zawahiri looked at that as a losing strategy. And Zawahiri cautioned him about this and said, you know, are you going to try to kill all the Shiites? Has this ever been possible? He really was opposed to this particular plan.

If we have one of Zawahiri's men in control now of al-Qaida in Iraq, then I think what we will see is a recalibration of the strategy. They will be focusing on American troops; they will not be focusing on the Shiites.

JIM LEHRER: Do you agree with that?

ALEXIS DEBAT: Absolutely. I think the fact that he targeted American soldiers, also the fact that there's no videos.

Remember, in the letter that surfaced a few months ago, Ayman al-Zawahiri criticized Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for his gruesome videos on the Internet, and namely the Nick Berg video. So no videos this time, which that could be an indication that al-Qaida in Iraq is going to be much -- run much closer to al-Qaida central's goals.

Also, al-Masri was very much involved, apparently, in setting up networks abroad. So the two parts, the pillars of the recalibration that Mr. Wright was talking about would be a greater focus on American troops in Iraq and also a greater focus on operations abroad.

Um ... so does anybody else think this might be a good time to try putting together a, you know, real exit strategy from Iraq?

Naturally, reaction to the two deaths—and any further public opinion against the war because of it—was immediately being grossly spun by that beacon of truth, Rush Limbaugh. And if relatives chose to be critical of the disappearances and deaths, well, then they're just reciting "Democratic talking points."

Becuase certainly, the phrase "cut and run" hasn't become a talking point for Republicans or conservative media outlets. Heavens, no.

When he's not running for president and trying too hard to appeal to moderates, John Kerry can still occasionally cut through such nonsense:

"Stay the course is not a plan. And what this administration wants is to have a fake debate, as usual. There, there, you hear the drumbeat on every television show from every commentator: 'cut and run,' 'cut and run,' 'cut and run,' 'cut and run.' That's their phrase.

They've found their three words, they love to do that, and they're gonna try to make the elections in November a choice between 'cut and run' or 'stay the course.' That's not the choice. My plan is not 'cut and run.' Their plan is 'lie and die.' And that's what they're doing..."

Of course, Bush and members of his party in Congress do have a plan for withdrawal: Let it become the next guy's problem.