From Pentagon press secretary Paul Cook, announcing the death of Abu Wahib, a leader of the Islamic State:
We view him as a significant leader in ISIL leadership overall—not just in Anbar province—and so we think removing him from the battlefield will be a significant step forward.
The Wall Street Journal, “Airstrike in Iraq Kills Top Militant,” 5/10/16
Every so often the US or one of its allies kills somebody high up in an Islamic extremist hierarchy. It’s always hailed as a big blow against the Islamist organization and a big victory in war on the terrorism. In the same way, every so often one of the drug enforcement agencies announces a bust of a drug kingpin, and it is always hailed as a big victory in the war on drugs. Terrorism is bigger than ever and so is the drug trade. The kingpin strategy, despite the hype, does little to nothing to stop either one. This, however, never prompts any kind of rethink on whether we should be fighting either “war.”
