Zarqawi leaves gap but insurgency will outlive him
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-08 21:16
Bush Hails
President Bush said Thursday that the death of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi in Iraq is "a severe blow" to the al-Qaida terrorist network and a
decisive victory in the U.S.-led war against terrorism.
President Bush speaks about the death
of al-Qaida in Iraq's leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Thursday, June 8,
2006, in the Rose Garden at the White House.
[AP] |
"Now Zarqawi has met his end, and this violent man will never murder again,"
Bush said in the Rose Garden.
Al-Zarqawi was considered the most dangerous terror plotter and foreign
fighter in Iraq, coordinating a loose coalition of militants numbering at least
in the hundreds. Osama bin Laden called him the "emir," or prince, of al-Qaida
in Iraq.
Al-Zarqawi's death is an encouraging sign for the administration's war in
Iraq. The U.S. has not seen the elimination of such an iconic figure since
former President Saddam Hussein was found in an underground bunker in late 2003.
"It's great, good news. ... This is a significant hit," said Sen. Joseph
Biden of Delaware. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn, noted "a
significant day in the formation of the government of Iraq."
The U.S. government was offering up to $25 million for information leading to
al-Zarqawi's killing or capture, putting him on a par with Saddam, bin Laden and
his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri.
It wasn't clear to American authorities who would succeed al-Zarqawi as the
leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. A defense intelligence official noted that a number
of al-Zarqawi's deputies have been taken out in recent months, which could cause
chaos among the group's top tier. The official requested anonymity because
events were still unfolding.
This official also said there could be retaliation in the United States or
elsewhere in the world following al-Zarqawi's death, but cautioned there was no
intelligence indicating such an attack was planned.
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