Justice, Mr. Bush?

In all likelihood Mr. Al-Zarqawi - by any reasonable standard - was a bad guy. In all likelihood, it was a good thing to try and hunt him down.

In the process Mr. Zarqawi was killed. From the point of view of Justice, this must be considered an accident, not a victory.

Without any presidential restraint Mr. George W. Bush claims the event as a delivery of Justice. From every reasonable viewpoint, this is a greater outrage than many so far committed by terrorists.

In fact, Mr. Bush proclaims an order in which Justice can be delivered at any doorstep, at any moment, at whim.

No due process, no representation, no nothing will save you from being dead even before you become a regular suspect. In my view, it is impossible to call this Justice. And I find it even more difficult to hold the line between shere revenge and proper conviction.

A President of the United States, especially the President, should caution its citizens in events like this. Yes, perhaps we should not mourn the death of Mr Al-Zarqawi, but we should greatly deplore the circumstances in which this death has come about and the entire context of it. The President should also warn his citizens that this death alone can never be seen as a victory, from any viewpoint. It may have been inevitable, and possibly desirable, but never should a civilisation celebrate the mere end of a mortal adversary, if the cause - and thrust - of the adversity itself is not diminished.

Iraq will remain in turmoil, and the US has yet to provide a better prospect for the Iraqi people.