Al Zarqawi Died Like His Luckier Victims

An autopsy has concluded that vicious terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lived for 52 minutes after being bombed in an airstrike in Iraq, then died of massive internal injuries:

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lived for 52 minutes after a U.S. warplane bombed his hideout northeast of Baghdad, and he died of extensive internal injuries consistent with those caused by a bomb blast, the U.S. military said Monday.

Col. Steve Jones, command surgeon for Multinational Forces, said an autopsy concluded that al-Zarqawi died from serious injuries to his lungs. An FBI test positively identified al-Zarqawi's remains.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Baghdad, said U.S. forces arrived about 28 minutes after a fighter jet bombed al-Zarqawi's hideout outside Baqouba on Wednesday. Medics secured al-Zarqawi's airway but his breathing was shallow and labored, and he expelled blood from his mouth.

"It was very evident he had extremely massive internal injuries," Caldwell said.

Al-Zarqawi died 24 minutes after coalition forces arrived, he said.

Jones said the autopsy conducted Saturday showed that al-Zarqawi died from injuries to his lungs.

"Blast waves from the two bombs caused tearing, bruising of the lungs and bleeding," he said. "There was no evidence of firearm injuries."

The al-Qaida in Iraq leader also suffered head and facial wounds, bleeding in his ears and a fracture of his lower right leg.

The autopsy was publicized in order to quell propaganda:

"These autopsies were performed to make a definitive determination as to the cause of both Zarqawi's and Rahman's deaths," Caldwell said. "The scientific facts provide irrefutable evidence regarding the deaths of terrorists will serve to counter speculation, misinformation and propaganda."

Of course, anyone foolish enough to lament the death of terrorist ringleader and serial beheader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi isn't going to let scientific fact stand in their way.

Zarqawi is fortunate that he died in less than an hour and with his head intact. He was not abducted and terrorized for days or weeks like many of his victims.  He did not have his head slowly severed from his body like many of his victims with shouts of "Allahu Akbar" over his anguished screams. 

No, Zarqawi died like his "luckier" victims who suffered such severe internal injuries that they died within an hour of a bomb blast that Zarqawi planned. 

The difference is that most of Zarqawi's victims were innocent.