al-Zarqawi reportedly arrested in Iraq

[wacki]

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashai.htm

[MMMMMM]

I would tend to give the most credence to the U.S. denial of the occurrence.

Interesting question: If Zarqawi is captured, would it be more beneficial to announce it, thereby taking some of the wind out of the sails of his followers, and making Iraqis perhaps feel a little safer about voting, or to keep his capture a secret and to torture/imprison him for all contact information and terrorist plans, for as long as possible?

[ThaSaltCracka]

annoucing his capture would be a back breaker to the terrorists er... insurgents.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
keep his capture a secret and to torture/imprison him for all contact information and terrorist plans, for as long as possible?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ding!

Standard tactic of the FBI,CIA, and DEA.


My thoughts? Denial is the obvious choice. There is no real advantage announcing his capture this week as opposed to next. Plus there is a reason terrorists organize in cells. You get one, another takes it's place. There is an advantage in keeping this secret. I think the interrorgators are going to go by the book on this one.

[juanez]

(A bit OT)

My uncle (a complete idiot) actually bet me a six pack that the US had Osama captured months before the election and that Bush was going to announce his capture just before the election to boost support.

The Fat Tires tasted good on Nov. 3rd.... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Cyrus]

[ QUOTE ]
If Zarqawi is captured, would it be more beneficial to announce it, thereby taking some of the wind out of the sails of his followers, and making Iraqis perhaps feel a little safer about voting, or to keep his capture a secret and to torture/imprison him for all contact information and terrorist plans, for as long as possible?

[/ QUOTE ]

Amusing. This brings back memories.

When Saddam's two sons were killed in a firefight, most of the 2+2 respondents to a poll said that it was "better for American interests" that Saddam's sons were killed rather than being captured alive if possible. (I was in the minority, supporting the live capture, for purely tactical reasons.)

When Saddam Hussein was captured alive, a new poll was conducted and the majority of the respondents preferred capturing Saddam alive, if possible, rather than killing him.

The blatant contradiction between those two choices (preferring the sons killed but Saddam himself alive) is explained by the fact that both polls took place after the respective dilemmas were resolved in real life. Respondents were obviously trying to support the "official" line, the "real" action taken, rather than discuss intelligently and honestly the best course of action.

For students of heuristics, it was yet another fascinating insight into the workings of the human mind.

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