Abu Musab Al Zarqawi Killed
08 June 2006 1:01 am by Taylor Marsh
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Killed
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U.S. Special Operations have killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
When Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki began his press conference, it was allegedly expected that he would finally announce the interior and defense ministry appointments. Instead, he announced Zarqawi's death.
This is a psychological lift, but reality remains terribly grim in Iraq. Al-Zarqawi's killing doesn't dent the insurgency reality.
Jim Miklaszewski, Chief Pentagon Correspondent for NBC News, reported it first on MSNBC. Miklaszewski said that sometime before sundown last night in Iraq, helicopter
gunships targeted a building where Zarqawi was rumored to be and took the building
out. Zarqawi wasn't killed immediately, but died of his wounds later.
Not very much else is known, except a senior aide to al-Zarqawi was with him
and he was found with information on al Qaeda. I know that sounds sketchy right now, but that's all we're getting.
General George Casey, who heads up U.S. operations in Iraq, just confirmed
the air strike to target Zarqawi during a live news conference minutes ago. It is a huge victory for Special Forces. Zarqawi
has been identified positively. Though there was a translator talking over Casey part of the time, he also said that this in no way means the end of terrorism or trouble in Iraq, which is obvious. That said, it's good news for the Iraqis and for the U.S., though there will be some who will try to spin it that it doesn't matter. Psychologically, if nothing else, it matters.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was expected to make an important announcement
at a news conference Thursday, amid a report that al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi may have been killed, his adviser said.Al-Maliki adviser Adnan al-Kazimi told The Associated Press that he had heard
a report that Jordanian terrorism mastermind Abu Musabd al-Zarqawi may have
been killed late Wednesday in Baghdad.But Al-Kazimi said he could not confirm the report.
He said al-Maliki was scheduled to shortly give a news conference along with
the top U.S. general in Iraq, Gen. George Casey.Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told AP over the phone that “since al-Zarqawi's
latest video tape, there was a serious effort in chasing him and detecting
his movement. The location (where Zarqawi appeared in the video tape) was
pinpointed.”The Jordanian-born militant, who is believed to have personally beheaded
at least two American hostages, became Iraq's most wanted militant, as notorious
as Osama bin Laden, to whom he swore allegiance in 2004.
