Zarqawi killed in Iraq air raid

[J450n]

Militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has announced.

"We have eliminated Zarqawi," Mr Maliki said at a news conference in Baghdad, sparking sustained applause.

Zarqawi was considered the figurehead of the Sunni insurgency. He was leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, blamed for killing thousands of Shias and US forces.

The US said he was killed in an air strike "approximately 8km (five miles) north of Baquba".

The head of US-led forces in Iraq, General George Casey, said the strike against an "isolated safe house" took place at 1815 (1415 GMT) on Wednesday.

"Iraqi police were first on the scene after the air strike," he said, followed shortly afterwards by coalition forces.

Jordanian-born Zarqawi was said to have been in a meeting with associates at the time. Several other people were reported to have been killed in the raid.

General Casey said Zarqawi's body was identified through fingerprints, facial recognition and known scars. He promised to give more details on the raid later on Thursday.

Reports say a statement on the internet attributed to an umbrella group for jihadi organisations including al-Qaeda in Iraq has confirmed Zarqawi's death.

Jordanian role

Zarqawi was not a global mastermind like al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, says the BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner.

Instead he was a bloodthirsty and violent thug, who made enemies and several mistakes that might have contributed to his downfall.

These included ordering a triple suicide bombing against hotels in Amman, Jordan, last November, that killed 60 people, our correspondent says.

A Jordanian official told the Associated Press that Jordanian agents had contributed to the operation against Zarqawi.

The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said Zarqawi's death marked "a great success for Iraq and the global war on terror... Zarqawi was the godfather of sectarian killing and terror in Iraq".

But he cautioned that it would not end bloodshed in the country.

Violence continued on Thursday as 13 people were killed and 28 injured in a bomb on a Baghdad market, police said.

Millon-dollar bounty

Zarqawi was accused of leading the rash of kidnappings and beheadings of foreign workers.

It has been suggested that he appeared personally on one video posted on the internet, cutting off the head of an American hostage.

A video released in April showed Zarqawi shooting an automatic rifle and berating the US for its "arrogance". The video provided the most up-to-date picture of the fugitive.

Mr Maliki said intelligence from Iraqi people had helped track down Zarqawi, who had a $25m (£13m) price on his head - the same bounty as that offered by the US for Bin Laden.

"What happened today is a result of co-operation for which we have been asking from our masses and the citizens of our country," he said.

Shortly after the Zarqawi announcement, the Iraqi parliament approved Mr Maliki's nominees for the key posts of defence and interior ministers.

The two crucial roles had remained unfilled despite the formation of a coalition government last month. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/5058304.stm

[_8_Ball]

It's about time,

Unfortunetly, I think this will have little to no impact, the way the extremists work these days, they are so independant of "head leadership" that it's not as important as it used to be.

Also a "new" leader will simply take his place within a few days...

8

[J450n]

True. Sad fact is, there is always someone waiting in the wings to take over.

[TwiloMike]

Someone will take his place. I'm super glad, though, that we did finally get him. Not a minute too soon.

[ddegroff]

We'll atleast we know our intelligence and smart bombs can be put to good use. BUT most likely someone else is gonna take over for him.

[Alex.V]

Hey, 8 down, 9,105 to go.

[Nik00117]

At least hes dead, maybe it'll detour a few and give the military more intel.

[Herc]

I know this guy was an enemy of the state, and the most wanted in Iraq, but is it really necessary for the administration to "dance in the endzone" on this small victory when the real score in Iraq is bleak ot say the least.

Next time lets just put the severed head on a pike and plant it on the front of the White House right next to the flag.

check www.cnn.com for the new millennium's answer to "bring me his head on a platter" (gotta love that they framed the picture)

[MixmasterNash]

Mission Accomplished!

[thoughtshewas18]

may he rot in hell

[HahnB]

Sometimes it's sad to see what little patronage the citizens of our country have left. A war is won from many small victories. Rome wasn't built in 1 day.

[Bikkstah]

Hooah

[MixmasterNash]

Sometimes it's sad to see what little patronage

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[HahnB]

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

I'm pretty sure that's the first time I've used it, and what are you talking about? Patronage is the act of supporting or favoring some person, group, or institution.

[MixmasterNash]

I'm pretty sure that's the first time I've used it, and what are you talking about?

[Herc]

Sometimes it's sad to see what little patronage the citizens of our country have left. A war is won from many small victories. Rome wasn't built in 1 day.

But it only took one person to fiddle while he burned it down...

(paraphrasing a quote that I liked last time someone used the "Rome wasn't.." quote)

[Rogue]

I remember watching the video where Zarqawi and his buddies got together and cut off the head of an american with a knife. I was totally shocked of his brutality and when I heard the news he was dead, I felt he clearly got what he deserved with no reservations. The world will be a better knowing that bastard is dead!!!!! Now we just need to find Osama!!!

[Bikkstah]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLlAV...over%20baghdad

[teck]

at the end of the day how can "we" (ie not the government) even know he is "actually" dead..? chances are FBI or CIA are paying for his rent while he is staying in the west wing playing around with bushs wife.

"They" known about alkida for 10yrs or so bit late in my books

The real loss is the soliders (and their familys) that go out fighting for a cause that the are probably feed by their leaders which is only half the story, just pawns in a big game

[Prenim]

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Hahahaha, that movie is classic.

[mikey4402]

this is why i hate this war. you kill one of the men in the top 10 most wanted and then what you replace him with another person. this will keep going on and on even if they get osama (which they probley wont).

[BilltheButcher]

Inconcievable.

[voodazz]

But it only took one person to fiddle while he burned it down...

(paraphrasing a quote that I liked last time someone used the "Rome wasn't.." quote)

Nero ROCKS!

[HahnB]

this is why i hate this war. you kill one of the men in the top 10 most wanted and then what you replace him with another person. this will keep going on and on even if they get osama (which they probley wont).

What do you suggest? I'm not being sarcastic, I really wanna know what you think we should do instead of trying to kill these people.

[Rogue]

We must have influence in the middle east, period!! Let Bush finish what he started, and try to keep terrorism at bay if possible. Remember if we hadn't gone to war, who knows what else the terrorists would have done and how much their power would have grown. Seriously, we've lost over 2400 soldiers since the war began, I will not believe their deaths were in vain. Nor will I forget the attacks made on 9/11 by Osama bin Laden and his organization. Justice must be served and I will support the United States government on their occupation of Iraq and their continued effort to fight against terrorism...