Comments on: Jordan Scores Big

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 05:07:23 +0000

Well, CG, the taxpayers paid for my education and training, both directly and through the GI Bill. I’m happy that individuals find the information worthwhile.

Kudos on your art show awards. It is difficult to get recognition for art at civic fairs that doesn’t involve children with large eyes.

By: The CultureGhost

The CultureGhost — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 04:46:43 +0000

Like Steve said, your stuff is always informative and fascinating! This is why I’m getting more and more of my real news from great sites like yours.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:30:55 +0000

In the Middle East you have to establish clan associations and their importance first.

Zarqawi was always a Jordanian problem, and if he hadn’t had the connections, Jordan would have executed him. The people who get executed have to be expelled from their clan first to avoid internal conflicts.

The guy was not all that intelligent, but he was a true believer and inspired others. The association with al Qaeda was political and a recruiting tool, not a reasoned alliance.

The Amman bombing was probably the turning point. The clan expulsion affected his ability to remain hidden, because the clans are not restricted by national boundaries and there are Iraqis in his clan who would feel obligated to help him.

I would guess that the Jordanians fed the information to the US that pin-pointed his location. Neither the US nor the Iraqis have the trust of the people who could provide the information.

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 14:37:39 +0000

Thanks for the explanation, Bryan. This kind of post is one of many things that keep me coming back to your site.

And I’d never heard “nom de bomb” before… good one. I did, however, once long ago, in some very bad doggerel, rhyme “Zarqawi” with “why the farqawi…”