Iraq, Jordan And Zarqawi

Omar at Iraq The Model has a really interesting post up about reactions in Iraq and Jordan to the killing of Zarqawi. I think this is some really hopeful stuff he's noting.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that authorities in Jordan have issued arrest warrants against four MPs from the Islamic movement; two of whom (Mohammed Abu Faris and Jafar al-Hourani) are already in custody while the search continues for Ali Abu al-Sukkar and Ibrahim al-Meshokhi.

Al-Arabiya TV mentioned today that arrests were made after families of victims of the Amman hotel bombings raised the case to the authorities after the four parliamentarians attended a mourning ceremony at Zarqawi's family home.
One of the four Islamists appeared on TV and called Zarqawi a martyr while denying that title to the victims of the Amman suicide bombings which obviously enraged the families that protested the outrageous attitude in front of the building of the Jordanian parliament.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, Al-Mada reports:
The Iraqi foreign ministry summoned the Palestinian consul Mr. Daleel al-Qassos last morning to express Iraq's shock and disappointment by Hamas's defense of Zarqawi and calling him a martyr while the entire world knows the crimes this terrorist committed against Iraqis and other peoples in the region including the Palestinians who had fallen in the Amman bombings. (Links removed – see Omar's post)

This is some very significant progress, I think. Governments are willing to start cracking down on people who openly support terrorists and to denounce governments that profess support. This is badly underreported in the world media. Potentially, this is a huge step in the right direction.