CAIRO: Confusion dominates Arab and Egyptian reactions to Abu Mosab El Zarqawi s death. Was he freedom fighter, terrorist or American agent? Talking to several Cairenes gives no straight answer to the question. Diaa Rashwan, political analyst at Al Ahram Center for Strategic and Political Studies, says that based on his conversations with other locals more people tend to believe that El Zarqawi was an American invention that didn t even exist in real life. While Rashwan stresses that his words shouldn t be taken as a measurement of public opinion, he cites several news reports that started shedding doubt on what happened last Thursday. The bombing of a place in which El Zarqawi was allegedly in was subject to many debates on news TV stations. A quick look at the headlines of local newspapers reveals an underlying tone of relief. Iraq wakes from the Zarqawi nightmare, was the headline on Al-Masry Al-Youm s front page. Al Ahram s editorial on Friday didn t shy away from spelling it out; there was no other ending but murder for the man who killed hundreds of innocent Iraqis, read the article. Along with Osama Bin Laden and Ayman El Zawahry, the paper s editorial held El Zarqawi responsible for spreading a negative image about Islam and for breaking the unity of Iraqi factions. El Zarqawi had claimed himself a leader in Iraq s quest for freedom from coalition forces. In 2004 he became the head of operations of Osama Bin Laden s El Qaeda in Iraq. His hostility of Iraq s Shiite majority and his involvement in attacks targeting Iraqi civilians and police forces had cost him many supporters. While there wasn t enough time for Internet forums to start discussions about the fresh news, judging by previous postings dating back to times when rumors about El Zarqawi s death had surfaced, Arab Internet users also voice confusion about El Zarqawi s identity. Some believe he is a freedom fighter and a head of a resistance group and others believe he is a terrorist. There are different opinions whether El Zarqawi was a terrorist or a Jihadist, writes one user, adding that a lot of those who claim to fight terrorism are terrorists themselves. Some believe El Zarqawi provided excuse for American led forces in Iraq to wage attacks on certain cities. Others believe that he was an American agent doing their dirty work. And some are confused between the four opinions, should they consider El Zarqawi a martyr or be happy for the death of a terrorist? But regardless of what people think about El Zarqawi s true identity, some stand firm on their stance of no sympathy. Egyptians don t base their judgment on mere remote observations of what s happening in Iraq, they got involved. Last summer, El Zarqawi declared his responsibility over the kidnapping and killing of Egyptian ambassador to Iraq, Ehab Sherif. I don t think anyone sympathizes with El Zarqawi s death, says marketing consultant and activist Ibrahim El Houdiby, but no one is sympathizing with those who killed him either. El Houdiby explains that every human being has a right of trial and if El Zarqawi was put to trial, he would have received the death sentence. He describes the assassination of El Zarqawi as a type of street fights that would only yield similar retaliating responses by his followers. Three bombings hit Baghdad shortly after the government announced El Zarqawi s death. The bombings claimed the lives of over 25 people and left more than 55 wounded. This was a gain to Iraqi resistance, says Rashwan, adding that although killing El Zarqawi would be a temporary gain to the Americans they will suffer losses. He explains that although American-led coalition forces realize that El Zarqawi-led attacks don t compromise much of their problems in Iraq (the rest is mainly legitimate resistance according to Rashwan), Americans have put him at the center of their mobilization campaigns especially inside the United States. By El Zarqawi s death, Rashwan continues, American leaders will lose the excuse for which they had been getting support. He also notes that the coalition forces are confusing between legitimate resistance and terrorism while addressing the media. But meanwhile, he adds, their reports indicate that they know the difference. He says the continuous use of terrorism and insurgents aims at making confusing generalizations. The killing of El Zarqawi won t affect the situation in Iraq, says Rashwan, because the resistance continues.
