While I am not going to argue that al-Zarqawi's death does not have some benefits to U.S. interests in Iraq, I would like to point out that the "Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq" was the head of a group that did not exist until after Bush invaded the country, in spite of what the administration continues to insinuate. 8 steps back, 1 step forward.

The next bit is a bit gruesome, but then so is war. Apparently, during the 12 hours or so in which al-Zarqawi was being positively identified, the military had a photograph of the dead man's face enlarged, matted, and framed. Isn't that odd? I've never seen a frame used in any of these announcements before and I don't quite know what to make of it. Were they trying to be respectful? Triumphant? Perhaps it was an effort to put some artistic distance into what they were doing, which was placing a 3 foot close-up photograph of a dead man on a stand for the world to see. I deliberately chose the word "artistic" since the presence of the frame and the way the photo was cropped immediately stirred up the memory of a painting. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the exact one I have in mind, but it is of either John the Baptist or Holofernes. I'm placing the famous Salome and John the Baptist painting by Caravaggio here so you can see what I mean. I'm not really sure what I'm getting at (I understand the need to prove that this person really was killed) but trumpeting the death of anyone -- an action here made far more visceral by an unfortunate similarity between real life and a work of art -- makes me very uncomfortable. I suppose that much of my issue here stems from the complete loss of any moral high ground the U.S. might have had with the litany of ignored treaties, secret prisons, rampant abuse, civilian killings, and crushed civil rights that have been the daily detritus of this "War on Terror." Unfortunately, it is now hard to see anything noble in a cause that has been so twisted and propagandized. Even when an evil man has been killed.