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June
Don’t get caught flat-footed in front of the press! Below is a quick rundown of today’s “must reads.” – John T. Doolittle, House Republican Conference Secretary
The Morning Murmur – Friday, June 09, 2006
1. Surveillance and betrayal ended hunt for Zarqawi - New York Times
Terror maniac Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was betrayed by one of his top lieutenants
and then finished off by a high flying F-16 that delivered a pair of
500-pound bombs right on his head.
2. Our Strategy for a Democratic Iraq - Prime Minister al-Maliki
Prime Minister al-Maliki describes his vision for the future of Iraq.
3. Some Democrats dismiss air strike - Washington Times
Putting politics first, some Democrats said the death of terrorist leader Abu
Musab Zarqawi in Iraq wasn't significant. One even went as far as to say,
"Our troops are no safer today than they were yesterday. And no American is
safer today."
4. Vote Sets Stage for Jefferson Ways and Means Expulsion - Roll Call
Members of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted to toss Rep.
Jefferson from the Ways and Means Committee on Thursday evening, a
recommendation that is expected to be ratified next Thursday by the full
Democratic Caucus -- unless the Congressman steps down on his own before
then.
5. Dog Feces Left at Congresswoman's Office - Associated Press
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's
re-election campaign was already heated, and it just got smelly as well: Her
staff accused a Democratic activist Thursday of leaving an envelope full of
dog feces at Musgrave's Greeley office.
For previous issues of the Morning Murmur, go to www.GOPsecretary.gov
FULL ARTICLES BELOW:
1. Surveillance and betrayal ended
hunt for Zarqawi - New York Times
By Dexter Filkins, Mark Mazzetti and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Published: June 9, 2006
Muhammad Ismael, a 40-year-old Iraqi taxi driver, was standing outside his
home in the tiny village of Hibhib on Wednesday evening when something
unusual caught his eye.
Three GMC trucks, each with blackened windows, rumbled past his home and
toward the little house in a nearby grove of date palms that for more than
three years had stood abandoned.
"It was something very strange," Ismael said in a telephone interview on
Thursday. "That house is always empty."
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, American military commanders believed that they had
at last cornered their most coveted prey: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the
Jordanian terrorist whose murderous onslaught against Iraqi civilians and
American troops had made him the most wanted man in all Iraq.
For the first time, the Americans believed, they had a source deep inside
his terrorist group. Zarqawi, the source told them, was in the little house
in the palm grove.
American jets were in the sky above.
In recent weeks, American officials say, they had begun following a man who
they believed could lead them directly to Zarqawi: his "spiritual adviser,"
Sheik Abd al-Rahman. A member of Zarqawi's network, captured by the
Americans, had told them the sheik was Zarqawi's most trusted adviser.
Some weeks ago, American officials said, they began tracking Rahman with a
remotely piloted aircraft, hoping he would lead them to their quarry.
"This gentlemen was key to our success in finding Zarqawi," said Major
General William Caldwell, the spokesman for the American military in
Baghdad. "Through painstaking intelligence effort, they were able to start
tracking him, monitoring his movements and establishing when he was doing
his link-ups with Zarqawi."
Yet for all the excitement, one critical piece of the puzzle still remained:
The Americans might be able to track Rahman, but how would they know when he
was meeting with Zarqawi?
The Americans had gotten close before, but Zarqawi had always managed to get
away. He was an elusive and wary figure who knew well how much the Americans
relied on high technology to track down suspects: he and his men refrained
from using cellphones, knowing how easily they could be tracked. Instead,
American officials said, they relied on handheld satellite phones,
manufactured by a company called Thuraya, to communicate with one another.
The Thurayas were more difficult to track.
Indeed, what the Americans had always lacked was someone from inside
Zarqawi's network, Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, who would betray him - someone
close enough and trusted enough to show the Americans where he was.
According to a Pentagon official, the Americans finally got one. The
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the raid
are classified, said that an Iraqi informant inside Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia
provided the critical piece of intelligence about Rahman's meeting with
Zarqawi. The source's identity was not clear - nor was it clear how that
source was able to pinpoint Zarqawi's location without getting killed
himself.
"We have a guy on the inside who led us directly to Zarqawi," the official
said. In a news release on Thursday morning, American military commanders
hinted strongly that a member of Zarqawi's inner circle had pointed the way.
"Tips and intelligence from Iraqi senior leaders from his network led forces
to al-Zarqawi," the release said.
Iraqi officials confirmed that Zarqawi had indeed been sold out by one of
his own.
"We have managed to infiltrate this organization," said Mowaffak al-Rubaie,
Iraq's national security adviser. He declined to elaborate.
Just how the Americans were able to get the information from the source was
also unclear. In an interview, a Jordanian official close to the
investigation said the mission that killed Zarqawi was a joint operation
conducted by the Americans and Jordanian intelligence. The source inside
Zarqawi's group, the Jordanian official said, had been cultivated at least
in part by Jordanian intelligence agents.
"There was a man from Zarqawi's group who handed over the information," the
Jordanian official said.
Back in Hibhib, Ismael again noticed something strange. Of the three GMC
trucks that had pulled up to the house in the date palm grove, only two
stayed. One of them drove away and never came back.
Whether the departing GMC contained the source who tipped off the Americans
about Zarqawi's location is unknown.
In addition to the human source, American officials said they used several
different methods to track Zarqawi and Rahman: they said they also relied on
"electronic signals intelligence," communications intercepts that allowed
someone to track the location of, say, the user of a satellite telephone.
For the first time, American officials believed they had located Zarqawi
with absolute certainty.
"There was 100 percent confirmation," Caldwell said.
In Baghdad, American military officials decided to carry out a military
operation. At a stroke, they called in a pair of F-16 fighter jets.
Commandos from Task Force 145, the antiterrorist unit, moved into Hibhib and
surrounded the grove.
Based in Balad, the secret task force has launched a number of raids in
recent weeks that military officials say have been particularly successful
in capturing or killing crucial members of Zarqawi's network, as well as
netting documents that provided the basis for more raids.
One raid, carried out in April in Yusufiya, a town south of Baghdad, came
especially close to capturing Zarqawi. According to Pentagon officials,
Special Forces commandos detained a handful of his operatives and might have
just missed Zarqawi himself.
In Hibhib, Ismael, the taxi driver, said American soldiers began swarming
the town, seemingly coming from nowhere, with some soldiers sliding down
ropes dropped from Black Hawk helicopters. His account largely tracked with
the one offered by the American military.
"The entire village was seized," Ismael said.
As the American commandos took up positions, Ismael said, someone from
inside the house in the date grove began shooting. The Americans returned
fire, Ismael said, but the firefight did not last long.
One of the F-16's, now in position over Hibhib, released a laser-guided
500-pound bomb.
The decision to bomb Zarqawi was made in large part because military
officials feared he might escape again if American and Iraqi forces moved in
on the ground, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during an appearance
at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
"They came to the conclusion that they could not really go in on the ground
without running the risk of letting him escape," he said. "So they used
airpower and attacked a dwelling he was in."
Seconds later, Ismael said, a second bomb landed on the house. "The entire
village was shaking underneath our feet," Ismael said.
Video taken by an aircraft above showed a giant explosion that sent plumes
of smoke, dust and debris high into the air.
Zarqawi was dead by the time American commandos got to the house, Caldwell
said.
Five others died in the airstrike: Rahman, one woman, one child and two
other men, Caldwell said. The identities of the four were not known.
Zarqawi's body was taken to an undisclosed location where an examination
found scars and tattoos that matched those he was known to have. A
fingerprint test came back at 3:30 a.m. positively identifying him, and DNA
tests should also be returned soon, Caldwell said.
Pictures of Zarqawi's body released by the military showed that the top of
his shoulders, his neck and his face were intact, with heavy contusions on
the left side of his face.
"We had wiped off a lot of the blood and other debris because there was not
a need to portray it in any kind of dehumanizing his body," Caldwell said.
Back in Hibhib, Ismael said, American and Iraqi soldiers ordered everyone
into their homes. There was another airstrike several hours later, he said.
When he awoke Thursday morning, Ismael said, he could hear the Iraqi police
cheering.
"We have killed Zarqawi!" Ismael recalled them saying. "We have killed
Zarqawi!"
Dexter Filkins and Richard A. Oppel Jr. reported from Baghdad for this
article, and Mark Mazzetti from Washington. Michael R. Gordon contributed
reporting from Brussels, Mona Mahmood from Baghdad and Souad Mekhennet from
Algeria.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/world/middleeast/09raid.html?hp&ex=1149912000&en=25d0e9ccfd9a7e6d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
2. Our Strategy for a Democratic Iraq -
Prime Minister al-Maliki
By Nouri al-Maliki
Friday, June 9, 2006; A23
BAGHDAD -- The completion of the national unity government Thursday in Iraq
marks the starting point for repaying Iraqis' commitment to and thirst for
democracy. We are at this juncture thanks to the bravery of the soldiers,
police and citizens who have paid the highest price to give Iraq its
freedom. Our national unity government will honor these sacrifices by
pursuing an uncompromising agenda to deliver security and services to the
Iraqi people and to combat rampant corruption.
This government will build on the additional momentum gained from the death
of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in order to defeat terrorism and sectarianism and to
deliver on the Iraqi people's hope of a united, stable and prosperous
democracy by following a three-pronged strategy:
We will draw on the country's untapped workforce to kick-start extensive
reconstruction, put into motion an initiative for genuine national
reconciliation, and increase the intensity and efficacy of building the
military and police. While some parts of the country have been very quiet
and secure, this has not resulted in increased investment or reconstruction.
Our government will correct this imbalance and develop the infrastructure
and services in these more secure regions, making them a model for the rest
of the country. We will mobilize the impressive energy and skills of Iraq's
young population to invigorate the rebuilding effort.
This government will embark on a national reconciliation initiative, which
is important if Iraqis are to begin to heal the divisions and wounds brought
on by Saddam Hussein's dictatorial rule and further widened by terrorism.
This, along with genuine cooperation among all of Iraq's ethnic and
religious groupings in this national unity government, will allow us to
pursue the terrorists with maximum force.
Baghdad is home to a quarter of Iraq's population and is its financial and
political center. This government of national unity will launch an
initiative to secure the capital and confront the ethnic cleansing that is
taking place in many areas around it. We will meet head-on the armed gangs
and terrorists who we believe constitute the main threat to security.
Furthermore, we will develop and strengthen the country's intelligence
services, which represent the best form of defense against terrorist
bombings.
We believe we will soon reach a tipping point in our battle against the
terrorists as Iraqi security services increase in size and capacity, taking
more and more responsibility away from the multinational forces. Key to
meeting this target is ensuring that current forces are properly equipped
and competent to take over security, while at the same time enhancing and
expanding the training program.
To provide the security Iraqis desire and deserve, it is imperative that we
reestablish a state monopoly on weapons by putting an end to militias. This
government will implement Law 91 to incorporate the militias into the
national security services. Unlike previous efforts, this will be done in a
way that ensures that militia members are identified at the start, dispersed
to avoid any concentration of one group in a department or unit, and then
monitored to ensure loyalty only to the state. In addition, we will engage
with the political leaders of the militias to create the will to disband
these groups.
While security represents the major impediment to reconstruction and the
provision of essential services such as electricity, administrative
corruption is also contributing to the problem and robbing Iraq of its
wealth. We will fight corruption from the top down. We will revamp and
strengthen our anti-corruption watchdog, the Commission for Public
Integrity, and initiate necessary political, economic and civil reforms.
This will include gradual reductions in government subsidies, which impede
Iraq's economic recovery and abet corruption, coupled with the establishment
of a social security program for the least privileged.
The political and economic reforms outlined here are guided by a common
belief in democracy. Liberty is the essence of a democratic system, which is
why I believe they must go hand in hand.
Finally, to achieve this vision, it is necessary that Iraq's neighbors not
interfere in its internal matters. While some neighboring countries provided
refuge for many Iraqis during the rule of the dictatorial Baathist regime,
this does not give them a right to meddle in Iraq now or turn a blind eye to
terrorists' operations.
Iraqis have elected a national unity government that will always put
national interests ahead of sectarian or ethnic agendas. This government
will support the judiciary in relentlessly pursuing the murderers and
kidnappers who have blighted Iraqi society. With the help of the
international community and regional partners, we will be able to defeat the
terrorist groups in Iraq.
The scale of the task ahead is humbling. Iraqis have time and time again
demonstrated their patience and perseverance in the face of many challenges.
With our allies, we will also persevere to make Iraq a prosperous democracy
in the heart of the Middle East.
The writer is prime minister of the Republic of Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060801532.html
3. Some Democrats dismiss air strike -
Washington Times
By Amy Fagan
Published June 9, 2006
Some Democrats, breaking ranks with their leadership yesterday, said the
death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq wasn't significant and
is being used to divert attention from an unpopular, unsuccessful war that
should be ended.
"This is just to cover Bush's [rear] so he doesn't have to answer" for Iraqi
civilians being killed by the U.S. military, and his own sagging poll
numbers, said Rep. Pete Stark, California Democrat. "Iraq is still a mess
get out."
"This insurgency is such a confused mess that one person, dead or alive at
this point, is hardly significant," said Rep. Jim McDermott, Washington
Democrat. "Our troops are no safer today than they were yesterday. And no
American is safer today."
White House officials "can spin it all they want," he said.
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio Democrat, said Zarqawi was a small part of "a
growing anti-American insurgency" and that it's time to get out of Iraq.
"We're there for all the wrong reasons," he said.
Democratic leaders and most rank-and-file Democrats, however, reacted
positively to the news and praised the troops who successfully targeted the
leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.
"This is a good day for the Iraqi people, the U.S. military and our
intelligence community," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
"I salute the efforts of the American troops who have worked tirelessly to
track down the evil terrorist al Zarqawi," said House Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi of California.
"It's great news; our military did a great job," said Rep. Martin T. Meehan,
Massachusetts Democrat.
"I think it's significant," said Rep. Melvin Watt, North Carolina Democrat.
President Bush said yesterday's killing of the 39-year-old Jordanian-born
terrorist offers an opportunity to "turn the tide" in the war and that on
Tuesday he will discuss with Iraqi leaders "how to best deploy America's
resources in Iraq."
A senior White House official cautioned that Mr. Bush was not hinting at
early reductions in U.S. troops there, according to Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, several Democrats hedged their praise with caveats.
"That is good news; he was a dreadful, vicious person," said Sen. Kent
Conrad, North Dakota Democrat. Mr. Conrad added that he hopes the military
can get Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
"They're even more important," he said.
"It's certainly good news," said Rep. Albert R. Wynn, Maryland Democrat. He
added, however, that "we have to get to the bottom of these civilian deaths"
in Iraq.
Republicans called Zarqawi's death a positive step and thanked Iraqi
citizens for standing up to a threat against their nascent democracy.
"I am more optimistic than ever that a free and stable Iraq can be
achieved," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.
"I believe this is truly a significant development for the future of Iraq
and the global war on terror," said Sen. George Allen, Virginia Republican.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060608-111751-7688r.htm
4. Vote Sets Stage for Jefferson Ways and
Means Expulsion - Roll Call
Thursday, June 8; 8:10 pm
By Steve Kornacki,
Members of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted to toss Rep.
William Jefferson (La.) from the Ways and Means Committee on Thursday
evening, a recommendation that is expected to be ratified next Thursday by
the full Democratic Caucus -- unless the Congressman steps down on his own
before then.
Democratic leaders had attempted to push the embattled Louisianan's
expulsion through Thursday night, hastily scheduling a full Caucus meeting
less than two hours after the Steering and Policy session broke up. But when
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the co-chairwoman of Steering and Policy, offered
her panel's recommendation to the Caucus for consideration, Rep. Mel Watt
(N.C.), the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, rose to object,
arguing that Caucus meetings require advance notice of five legislative
days.
A discussion ensued, after which Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.), the Democratic
Caucus chairman, ruled that consideration of the Jefferson matter would be
postponed until next Thursday.
Tonight's developments are expected to bring to the surface the tensions
between the CBC and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), who set this
chain of events in motion by calling for Jefferson to give up his seat on
the influential committee two weeks ago, "in the interest of upholding the
high ethical standard of the Democratic Caucus."
Watt had warned Pelosi that any formal sanctions against Jefferson, who is
the subject of a federal bribery probe, before an indictment would be met
with a loud public outcry from the CBC. A CBC source has estimated that
about two-thirds of the group's 43 members share Watt's view that, guilty or
not, Jefferson is being treated differently than past House Members who have
been suspected of, but not charged with, any wrongdoing.
The Steering and Policy vote came after several House Democrats made
personal appeals to Jefferson during the day in an effort to convince him to
resign his committee post voluntarily. But Jefferson refused, and Steering
and Policy members were called to Pelosi's office just before 6 p.m. for
what ended up being a 45-minute session.
Sources said the vote was not unanimous, with several CBC members siding
with Jefferson. But the 50-member Steering and Policy Committee is packed
with Pelosi's allies, making the final outcome a foregone conclusion.
Democratic leaders are still hoping that Jefferson will reconsider between
now and Thursday, but Melanie Roussell, his press secretary, threw cold
water on that idea, saying that "this is not a take-one-for-the-team
situation."
"It's a fight if that's what it becomes," she said. "He is not going to step
down for any reason."
If the Democratic Caucus does vote to unseat Jefferson from Ways and Means,
the issue would then go to the full House. Typically, when a change in a
committee assignment reaches the floor, the opposite party approves it
without objection, but some Democrats are suspicious that Republicans might
look for a way to play tricks with a floor debate on Jefferson in an effort
to score political points.
http://rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/13740-1.html
5. Dog Feces Left at Congresswoman's
Office - Associated Press
GREELEY, Colo.
Republican U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's re-election campaign was already
heated, and it just got smelly as well: Her staff accused a Democratic
activist Thursday of leaving an envelope full of dog feces at Musgrave's
Greeley office.
Musgrave spokesman Shaun Kenney said someone stuffed the envelope through
the mail slot in the door on May 31 and then sped away in a car. Kenney said
most of the preprinted return address was blacked out, but staffers used the
nine-digit ZIP code to trace it to Kathleen Ensz, a Weld County Democratic
volunteer.
Ensz told The Associated Press she left the envelope at Musgrave's office
but said it "wasn't in the office doors, it was in the foyer." Asked what
she meant by the act, she declined comment.
Kenney demanded an apology from Musgrave's likely Democratic opponent, state
Rep. Angela Paccione of Fort Collins.
Paccione spokesman James Thompson denied the campaign had anything to do
with it.
"We find that kind of act to be completely deplorable," he said. "We're not
in the business of dirty tricks like that. This type of thing is really out
of our control, but of course we'll do anything that we can to discourage
this."
Thompson said Ensz, vice chairwoman of a state Senate district committee for
the county Democratic Party, has no formal ties to the Paccione campaign.
Kenney said police were asked to investigate. A police spokesman did not
immediately return a call.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/06/08/D8I4E19G0.html
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