Al Zarqawi has made clear his position: "We have declared a bitter war against the principle of democracy and all those who seek to enact it," he said on the latest audio tape. He added: "Those who vote ... are infidels. And with God as my witness, I have informed them (of our intentions)." Austin Bay thinks this is significant (you should follow his links):
Z-Man’s been suckered. Z-Man is the troops’ nickname for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Al Qaeda’s jefe in Iraq. Z-Man has declared a “fierce war” on democracy. Z’s taken Bush’s bait– except the Presiden’ts “bait” of promoting democracy and declaring war on tyranny and 0ppression isn’t mere bait, it’s essential American values. The ideological dimensions of the War on Terror (The Millenniumn War) were there from the get-go, but the Presiden’t inaugural address has focused them. That’s a huge step, I think, to obtaining the kind of resilient victory and secure peace the American people deserve.
Even Juan Cole, as shrill a Bush-basher as you will find, admits that Bin Laden and Zarqawi have behaved like political idiots with respect to Iraq, and are doing a bang-up job of alienating Iraqis not only with bombs but with words:
https://www.juancole.com/2004/12/bin-laden-votes-in-iraq-and-shoots.html
I guess "reject democracy or we will blow you up" is not such a great campaign slogan.
What a superb political coup! In a single dramatic speech, Zarqawi declares himself the ideological ally of A.N.S.W.E.R., most college professors, a third of the Democratic Party, and the majority of geezer media’s anchors and reporters! The ranks of the anti-American forces swell with this latest anti-democratic, fascist imperialist! Brilliant!
Ooh! Wait! They were already allies, weren’t they. Never mind.