What Zarqawi’s death means to the war in Iraq

Re “U.S. Tracks Aide to Zarqawi’s Doom; Bush Says the War Is Far From Over,” June 9

Had Abu Musab Zarqawi been of vital importance to the insurgency, there would have been an attempt to capture and detain him, as well as confiscate as much of his personal effects as possible.

But no; 500-pound bombs were dropped on the house, most likely destroying any computer equipment, communications, documents, correspondence, contacts, notes, lists, addresses or plans, as well as killing the suspect, thereby completely removing any possibility of getting useful information and intelligence out of him.

Zarqawi sounds like either a manufactured nonentity or a figure of relative unimportance, built up and subsequently taken down to gain cheap political brownie points for the Bush administration’s failing war.

NIK GREEN

Isla Vista, Calif.

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Violence did beget violence, and Zarqawi got what he deserved. This hate-mongering lunatic and, I might add, fanatical thug was finally gotten rid of, and this is one death that I will rejoice in both as a Muslim and as an American.

USMAN MADHA

Culver City

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In listening to some of the pundits, Zarqawi’s death seems to justify the White House’s case for the war in Iraq. So we sent about 2,500 U.S. soldiers to their deaths to kill one guy?

LAURENT MARC WEBER

Los Angeles

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So they’ve killed Zarqawi; that is good news.

The bad news is that 1,000 more will rise up to take his place -- the Bush administration’s policies have assured that.

PATRICK SHIPLEY

Cardiff, Calif.

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We now have a new oxymoron: A Zarqawi safe house.

LAWRENCE NOWAK

Torrance