Scoop News: U.S. Bombing Raid Kills al-Zarqawi

Thursday, 8 June 2006, 11:09 pm
Article: Scoop News

Iraq's new Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has announced that Al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has been killed in a U.S. bombing raid north of Baghdad. Al-Maliki made the announcement at a news conference in Baghdad with the U.S's top general, George Casey at his side.

Casey said: "Coalition forces killed al-Qaida [in Iraq] terrorist leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and one of his key lieutenants, spiritual adviser Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman, yesterday, June 7th, at 6:15 p.m. in an air strike against an identified, isolated safe house.

Al-Qaeda released image of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, pictured in May 2006.

"Tips and intelligence from ... senior leaders from his network led the forces to Zarqawi and some of his associates, who were conducting a meeting approximately eight kilometers north of Baquba when the air strike was launched," Casey said.

Forbes news cited a Jordanian official as stating that Jordan provided the U.S. military with information that helped in tracking down and killing al-Zarqawi

Red banners with urgent tags appeared on many Arab TV stations as the region's major stations broke into regular programming to announce the death of al-Zarqawi..

Casey also told reporters in Baghdad "Iraqi police were first on the scene after the air strike [and] ... coalition forces were able to identify Zarqawi by fingerprint verification, facial recognition and known scars."

Britain's prime minister Tony Blair has echoed the United States in saying Zarqawi's death is a "significant blow" to al-Qaida and another step toward defeating terrorism in Iraq.

The Guardian reported: "The price of oil dipped below $70 a barrel for the first time in a fortnight and in London Tony Blair told his cabinet that the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is 'a very important moment in Iraq'.

"Today's announcement was very good news because a blow against al-Qaida in Iraq was a blow against al-Qaida everywhere," the prime minister's office said in a statement – the Guardian reported.

U.S. General Casey warned that terrorists are still active in Iraq: "Although the designated leader of al-Qaida in Iraq is now dead, the terrorist organization still poses a threat," the American commander said. "Its members will continue to try to terrorize the Iraqi people and destabilize their government as it moves toward stability and prosperity. Iraqi forces, supported by the coalition, will continue to hunt terrorists that threaten the Iraqi people until terrorism is eradicated in Iraq."

For recent video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, see Scoop documentary: Scoop Doco: Jihad Battle Mounts Against West's Propaganda - The United States dominion over 'psy-ops' and propaganda is no longer unchallenged. Islamic insurgents throughout the Muslim world are producing digital video clips with ever-increasing sophistication. The products of this technological revolution carry a double-edged message of 'glory' for youthful 'martyrs' and vengeance against the West. Scoop has obtained video footage - delivered via underground networks and otherwise - originating from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Turkistan, Algeria and Palestine. The propaganda's message suggests the Islamic fight against U.S. imperialism and that of the West is spreading - becoming more sophisticated. See... Psy-Ops Countered By Islamic Digital Propaganda

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