Via the AP: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in air raid

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida’s leader in Iraq who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and kidnappings, has been killed in an air strike, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday, adding that his identity was confirmed by fingerprints and a look at his face. It was a major victory in the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the broader war on terror.

While rumors of his death have surfaced before, this sounds about as definitive as it gets. Certainly this is a major victory for the US and the new Iraqi government.

Of course, exactly what effect this will have on the ongoing violence in Iraq is highly unclear.

Still, without a doubt, one less major al Qaeda leader is a very good thing.

Some details on his demise:

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said al-Zarqawi was killed along with seven aides Wednesday evening in a remote area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad in the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba, al-Maliki said.

2 Comments

1. The first thing that comes to mind is “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.”

   Comment by B. Minich, PI — Thursday, June 8, 2024 @ 6:08 am

2. Couldn’t have happened to a less nice fella

   This is great news of course, but the job isn’t done in Iraq. The insurgency needs to be squashed. Anyone want to start taking predictions as to how long before a Democrat is heard whining that Zarqawi’s death was timed for political effect?

   I thi…

   Trackback by The Florida Masochist — Thursday, June 8, 2024 @ 6:18 am

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