Al Qaeda's key organizer in Iraq sheds low profile

Damn, I was enjoying the quiet.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Al Qaeda mastermind accused of orchestrating dozens of bombings and beheadings in Iraq, sought yesterday in a rare videotaped message to portray himself as a leader of radical Islam's global struggle against the West.

Everybody's making videos these days. Anyone remember when wars and jihads weren't televised? Those were the good old days. Jihadists may hate our foreign policies but they sure do love our technology.

While restating his allegiance to Osama bin Laden, Zarqawi appeared to go out of his way to look the part of an influential holy warrior on a par with Al Qaeda's chieftain, sitting cross-legged and bin Laden-like before a circle of his followers, with an AK-47 by his side and wearing what looked like a suicide bomb vest.

Mimicry is the ultimate form of flattary. Hopefully the two will get into some sort of east coast/ west coast rap battle and shoot each other. That'd be nice.