Mass killer killed

One more mass murderer is off the streets in Iraq:

An Iraqi militant who was behind last month’s attacks that killed more than 400 members of the minority Yazidi community has been killed, the US says.

Abu Mohammed al-Afri, also known as Abu Jassam, was killed in an air strike on 3 September near the northern city of Mosul, US spokesman Mark Fox said.

He described the man as an associate of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Some estimates say more than 500 died in the multiple bomb attacks in two villages in north-west Sinjar region.

Another 400 people were injured by the blasts – among the deadliest in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Abu Mohammed al-Afri – who was responsible for “the planning and conducting of the horrific attack” against the Yazidis on 14 August – was killed in a coalition air strike 115km (70 miles) south-west of the northern city of Mosul, Rear Admiral Mark Fox told reporters.

Adm Fox described him as an associate of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

“Abu Jassam is no longer a threat to the Iraqi people,” he said.

I really hate the “neutral” terms “militant” or “insurgent.”  In the old days, the enemies were identified as “the enemy” or by their own self-identification:  Nazi, Communist, North Vietnamese, etc.  I’m sure al-Afri would have been proud to be known as an Al Qaeda operative or an Islamist, but the BBC’s sensibilities are too delicate to call a bad guy by his own bad guy handle of choice.