I sometimes suspect these reports are meant to help force Zarqawi (or Osama) to show himself to dispell the rumors. If this isn't true, I hope it (or his capture) is made true sometime shortly after.

One wonders if al-Zarqawi's incredibly stupid attacks in Jordan prompted one of his Jordanian contacts to flip. Timing is right.

The first lesson in politics is, don't antagonize your base. In this case it may have been fatal.

The Jordan attacks were extremely stupid, strategically.

One thing the Jordanians have going for them is a good intelligence agency, with hooks into most of the underside of the Mideast (including a lot of access that we've never had bafore).

I think we're going to see a lot of sudden captures and kills between now and January...

Debka has also killed OBL several times. However, this time it looks like it may be for real. I'm following events here.

Another reason to be sceptical is because DEBKAfile is not known for being reliable.

OregonMuse, that was the point I was trying to make about Debka, that they've had him "killed" several times over the last couple of years. That's why I've been watching this one closely.

Currently Yahoo News is running Zarqawi as the front story.

I believe his recent "blackmail" of Jordan may have been what doomed his fate.

DEBKAfile has buried so many alleged HAMAS "top lieutenants" that one wonders if there were any simple soldiers. Ditto for DEBKA on Zarqawi.
Debka, MEMRI and Campus watch are of a piece. Sharonista agents, not worth the time to refute.

Didn't al-Zarqawi just vow to kill somebody?
How ironic.
I guess al-Zarqawi won't be getting down to
that part of his "to do" list now.

Oh, he did more than threaten to cut the King's head off.

1. Jordan must expel forthwith all American and British military forces. DEBKAfile adds: several thousand US troops are based in the Hashemite kingdom, including special forces defending the Jordanian-Iraqi border from both sides. US air force personnel fly helicopter and fighter aircraft missions against terrorist targets in Iraq from Jordanian air bases. American troops in Iraq receive supplies from rear bases in the kingdom. US tankers regularly dock at Jordan’s Red Sea port of Aqaba with fuel supplies for the American army in Iraq. They are escorted by US warships. The British forces in Iraq are mostly Royal Air Force units.

2. Jordan must close the Israeli embassy in Amman.

3. The training of Iraqi police contingents in Jordan must cease. They are given courses at facilities especially set up in the kingdom. Jordanian instructors drill new Iraqi recruits.

4. Jordan must shut down prison facilities holding Iraqi inmates.

5. The Jordanian embassy in Baghdad must close and its staff withdrawn from Iraq

http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=1271

National Lampoon used to have this running gag concerning Gen. Franco of Spain. From time-to-time they would publish a photo of him with a cartoon balloon that said, "I'm not dead yet!" or something to that effect. Maybe they should start doing the same thing with Zarqawi and Osama.

I know it would not be the best PR move in some quarters. But, if they got the garden slug this time? I'd love to see them parade his head on a stick, down a public thoroughfare.

Profligatewaste,

I believe the Franco bit was from Saturday Night Live in the mid-70's. Chevy Chase on Weekend Update would say "This just in... Generalisimo Francisco Franco is STILL dead. The gag was funny (?) because Franco was on the verge of death for about two months before finally expiring. Every night, Walter Cronkite, John Chancellor, and Frank Reynolds would update the story, "General Franco still alive".

The Washington Post has more information for the Monday edition including an official laying odds of Zarqawi being dead at 30%. See the story at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/20/AR2005112000110_pf.html