Old news but good news, Zarqawi is dead!

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BAGHDAD (Army News Service, June 9, 2006) – The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was reason to celebrate and reason for caution, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, spokesman for Multi–National Force – Iraq, said yesterday.

“Although Zarqawi's capture is reason to rejoice, we must be cautious not to be overly optimistic, as one man's life does not signify an end to an insurgency,” the general told reporters at a Thursday afternoon press conference in Baghdad.

“Iraqis can rejoice today. They have earned it with their blood, their sweat and their tears,” said Caldwell. “Tomorrow we must continue to march forward. The march forward towards an Iraq that is free, that is for all, that exemplifies unity, prosperity and security.”

Zarqawi, the terrorist leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, and five others were killed Wednesday morning by a U.S. Air Force air strike north of Baqouba. Zarqawi and one of his key lieutenants, spiritual advisor Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman, were in a house when F-16 fighter jets dropped two 500-pound bombs on it.

The strike was a product of intelligence gathered from local sources and from Zarqawi’s network, Caldwell said.

Caldwell would not go into details of the intelligence gathering. He did say the intelligence was gathered with the help of coalition partners, the Iraqi government and neighboring governments.

After the airstrike, Iraqi police moved to the house and secured the area. Coalition forces identified the body of Zarqawi through facial recognition and fingerprinting.

Intelligence gathered at the site of the house where Zarqawi was killed led to 17 different operations, Caldwell said.

News of the terrorist’s death spawned joy among Iraqi and coalition leaders.

"Today Zarqawi has been terminated," Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said at a press conference Thursday. "Every time a Zarqawi appears we will kill him. … We will continue confronting whoever follows his path. It is an open war between us."

Coalition forces “delivered justice to the most wanted terrorist in Iraq,” U.S. President George W. Bush said in Washington.

“Now Zarqawi has met his end, and this violent man will never murder again. Iraqis can be justly proud of their new government and its early steps to improve their security. And Americans can be enormously proud of the men and women of our armed forces, who worked tirelessly with their Iraqi counterparts to track down this brutal terrorist and put him out of business,” the president added.

In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair called al-Zarqawi's death "a very important moment in Iraq. A blow for al-Qaida in Iraq is a blow for al-Qaida everywhere."

(Editor's note: From the Multi–National Force – Iraq Web site at www.mnf-iraq.com.)

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