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.

This has turned out to be a nerve-wracking week. After my experience on Monday almost getting hit by a tree in the city, last night I managed to be involved in a car accident and I don't even own a car. My friend is house sitting out in Silver Spring for some friends of hers with some really big dogs and we got together on Friday evening to watch a movie (Topkapi, as a matter of fact). Afterward she was driving me back into the district in the dog-owners' very nice Volkswagen Tuareg. On Connecticut Avenue at the complicated intersection with Florida she was trying to change lanes and there was a taxi in the way, when she turned around from looking over her shoulder at the cab, the light was red, I was shouting "stop", and she was in the intersection. Next thing we know, the SUV sideswiped a small sedan and sent it spinning. Not good. Everyone was physically fine, but something evil happened to the back left wheel of the sedan and the front bumper and grill of the VW were pretty much destroyed. It was, however, a perfect example of what happens when 2.5 tons of SUV hits 1 ton of sedan -- it simply isn't a fair fight. We all agree it could have been a lot worse, but it kept playing in my head all night (an extremely short one after all the hassles and time spent trying to calm down). My friend, of course, feels horrible since she damaged a borrowed car and will have to pay what could be several thousand dollars she doesn't have to get everything fixed. What a very strange week. I certainly hope that is the end of these unsettling events.