Zarqawi Killed in Iraq

Now there is some good news. At least until they find another Sociopath to fill the position.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq who led an insurgency campaign of bombings and kidnappings, was killed in an airstrike north of Baghdad, a major U.S. victory in the war on terror.

"Today, al-Zarqawi has been eliminated," Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in Arabic amid cheers at news conference this morning, with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, at his side.

Zarqawi, al-Maliki said, was killed along with seven others, including his spiritual adviser Sheik Al Rahman, Wednesday night while meeting at an isolated house 30 miles northeast of Baghdad the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba. Two women were said to be involved in the attack.

U.S. forces dropped two 500 pound bombs Zarqawi's safehouse. The bombing came at the conclusion of a three-day operation and U.S. forces had tracked Rahman for over two hours as he was dirven to the meeting.

I'm trying to figure out what relevance there is in proclaiming two women were involved in the attack. It's these little irrelevant bits of information that always puzzle me. They don't break down the attack force in any other way, so why put that out?

Now if only they can keep on the elimination of the insurgency in other aspects maybe things will become more peaceful over there and allow stability to solidify.

The Iraqi government is working this bit of new to the limit:

Al-Maliki said the air strike was the result of intelligence reports provided to Iraqi security forces by residents in the area, and U.S. forces acted on the information.

"Those who disrupt the course of life, like al-Zarqawi, will have a tragic end," al-Maliki said.

Al-Maliki also warned those who follow the militant's lead that "whenever there is a new al-Zarqawi, we will kill him."

"This is a message for all those who embrace violence, killing and destruction to stop and to (retreat) before it's too late," he said. "It is an open battle with all those who incite sectarianism."

Can't really blame him though can we.