Not Just A "Trusted Lieutenant"

This is very good news indeed---and long overdue. Of course, it would have paid a much larger dividend a year or two ago. And a quick check shows that the usual suspects are trumpeting it as yet another "purple finger" milestone.

The perception---stoked by the Bush administration and the media---that Zarqawi was responsible for much of the mayhem is about to meet reality, I suspect. When you dub someone the bogeyman, what happens to your credibility when his demise proves inconsequential? After the next round of kidnappings, car bombs, and assassinations, will anyone remember who he was?

Still, if only because it serves justice, Zarqawi's death is good news. And right now we'll take every little bit of that we can get.