Injured Zarqawi has fled Iraq

The British paper, The Sunday Times is reporting that Al Qaeda's head scumbag in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has run away after being severely injured in a US missile attack 3 weeks ago. According to the Times' source, Zarqawi suffered shrapnel wounds to his right shoulder and chest. The Times also is reporting that Zarqawi suffered from a very fever that necessitated his seeking nedical help at a hospital in Ramadi.

"LONDON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had fled the country after being seriously injured in a U.S. missile attack, a British newspaper reported on Sunday, quoting a senior commander of the Iraqi insurgency.

Al-Zarqawi has shrapnel lodged in his chest and may have been moved to Iran, The Sunday Times newspaper reported, adding his supporters may try to move him on to another country for an operation.

The paper quoted an unnamed insurgency commander as saying the Jordanian-born militant was wounded three weeks ago when a U.S. missile hit his convoy near the northwestern Iraqi city of al Qaim.

"Shrapnel went in between the right shoulder and his chest, ripped it open and is still stuck there," the commander said, adding a second piece of shrapnel penetrated Zarqawi's chest but exited from his back.

"There was concern about spinal injuries," the commander said. "But his ability to move eliminated that fear.""

I would think that Zarqawi's cohorts will need to seek a hospital to have that shrapnel removed and any infection treated. One can hope that Zarqawi succumbs to those would and infection in a rather painful manner, if in fact, he already has not. If he is or has indeed been moved to Iran, it would be on Iran to turn Zarqawi over to either Iraqi or US authorities. I will not hold my breath waiting for that to occur.

"Then, on Thursday, an Internet statement in al Qaeda's name said the group had named a deputy to fill in for Zarqawi, but a later statement attributed to the group spokesman swiftly denied it.

On the same day, Iraq's interior minister said he had confirmation Zarqawi had been wounded, but the country's prime minister later said there was no firm news.

Washington has offered a $25 million bounty for Zarqawi, its top foe in Iraq.

His group is blamed for many of the suicide bombings and ambushes by mostly Sunni Arab guerrillas, which have killed more than 600 Iraqis in the last four weeks and raised fears Iraq could slide toward civil war."

This could also be a ruse to take the pressure off Zarqawi. Having the Iraqi and US authorities believing he has left Iraq, might slow down the hunt for him. Time will tell on this one.

Just a word here on all the MSM's talk about a civil war. From all I can see and read, this is another attempt by the leftist media to throw water on the flames of democracy that has taken root in Iraq. This is on about the same level as the quagmire hysteria prior to the Presidential election. - Sailor

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