The Canadian Press is reporting that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi "was alive and partly conscious after bombs destroyed his hideout, and an Iraqi witness has raised the possibility that the wounded 'al-Qaida in Iraq' leader was beaten by American troops before he died."If this is true -- and frankly, it wouldn't surprise me -- it's astonishing both for its stupidity and shortsightedness. No doubt, al-Zarqawi was a bad guy, but he was worth more to us alive than dead. In fact, he's even worse than worthless as a deadman -- he's now a martyr, useful for recruiting more Iraqis to al-Qaeda.
