As if we didn't know that our enemies are, indeed, our enemies:
"We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology," said the speaker, who identified himself as Zarqawi. "Anyone who tries to help set up this system is part of it."
It's always nice when your opponent claims the Darth-Vader Helmet of cartoonish villiany -- no nuance here. And this is a hopeful sign, I think. By putting the choice in such stark terms, Zarqawi may persuade those on the fence to turn out against him. Zarqawi offers nothing but death and stagnation. Democracy at a minimum offers the chance for peace and growth.
By the way, the tin-foil-hat part of me (c'mon, you have one too) considered that this message may come from a CIA plant rather than Zarqawi. It just seems so perfectly, well, out-of-toonishly evil and to play so well into our hands. I think that it's very unlikely that such is the case. But, for the record, if this message is a bit 'o CIA disinformation, I've got no problem with it. We're in both a propoganda war and a hot war in Iraq -- and we've got to win both.
Now, if only we can get Iraqi police/National Guard who stand and fight rather than run, we'll be in business...
Posted by: Andrew Reeves | January 24, 2005 at 10:23 AM
That's funny that you say that (re: CIA plant). I thought the same thing when I read it. In fact, because (a) it seems soooo ham-fisted, and (b) my trust in this Administration is exactly zero (though I also don't have a problem with this if it is CIA), I'm going to assume it is a plant absent new evidence.
Posted by: SomeCallMeTim | January 24, 2005 at 10:33 AM
I had read somehwere else that "democracy" (English, untranslated) is now synonymous in Iraq with armed coalition troops. As in, stay away from that street, "democracy" is doing a house sweep. I will try to find the cite.
Posted by: votermom | January 24, 2005 at 11:27 AM
Well, duh. What in the world did anyone possibly imagine was Zarqawi's attitude toward democracy and the kind of future he wants for Iraq? Liberal democracy is his nightmare, an autocratic Islamic theocracy his dream. And his vision does not end with Iraq, by any means. These are not called fanatics for no reason, folks. He and his ilk have to be exterminated as thoroughly and rapidly as possible.
Posted by: Byron | January 24, 2005 at 11:37 AM
Oh, it was a comment on Making Light, so I suppose it just counts as hearsay.
Posted by: votermom | January 24, 2005 at 11:38 AM
Are you sure Zarqawi knows/expects the average Iraqi to know what "democracy" is? I seem to remember reading somewhere (yeah, I know, real reliable source here;-) that women in Iraq scare their disobedient children by saying something like "if you don't behave the democracy will come get you". It may be that Zarqawi thinks or expects people to believe that he thinks, that he is declaring war on an evil principle that stands for the monster under the bed. Think about a 1950s US-American politician declaring war on Communism.
Posted by: Dianne | January 24, 2005 at 03:56 PM
Diane: According to your hypothesis, Zarqawi is taking advantage of the ignorance of his audience to cast a good thing (democracy) as something evil, making people fear something they should embrace. At least your 1950s American politician was declaring war on a genuinely monstrous evil, something no one should have embraced.
What mothers use to scare their children aside, the average Iraqi deserves more credit than you are giving him. The basic idea of democracy is well understood over there, and in Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, too. If that were not so, then the leaders of these countries, as well as the Iraqi Baathists, would have little to worry about. But they are plenty worried.
Posted by: Byron | January 24, 2005 at 10:34 PM