Chris At Home

Via Tim Blair:

Newly released video of the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq shows Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (AH'-boo MOO'-sahb ahl-zahr-KOW'-ee) decked out in American tennis shoes and fumbling with a machine gun.
The U-S military command says the footage was found during a series of raids in April on purported terror cell safe houses southwest of Baghdad.Major General Rick Lynch says al-Zarqawi chose not to show the world this piece of video in which he's wearing "his New Balance tennis shoes," and in which his associates "do things like grab the hot barrel of the machine gun and burn themselves." In the version that appeared on the Internet last month, al-Zarqawi swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden and said any government formed in Iraq would be just a "stooge."The U-S military says 161 leaders of al-Qaida in Iraq have been killed or captured since January.

New Balance, of course, is a favorite brand for long distance runners. Run Abu, run like the wind!

Update: Run faster, Abu! We are on your heels! And blooper reel here.

Update: from captured AQ documents:

The document complains that the losses of American forces in Baghdad “are hardly worth mentioning” compared to American losses in the Western provinces. And, in the concluding paragraph, the document says the “rank and file” of the mujahideen in Baghdad know their leadership does not have “a broad view” or “a well-knit plan” and that “this has led to strategic losses for us.”

Update: CNN makes excuses for Zarqawi's inability to fire a gun. Unbelievable.