The United States had been pursuing Zarqawi for several years, saying he was known to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iraqis.
Zarqawi and one of his key lieutenants, Sheikh Abdel Rahman, were killed late Wednesday afternoon in an air strike "against an identified, isolated safe house," said George W. Casey, the top U.S. military officer in Iraq . "Tips and intelligence from Iraqi senior leaders from his network led forces to al-Zarqawi and some of his associates who were conducting a meeting" in the area.
He said that though the killing was a significant blow to Al-Qaeda, it was unlikely to stem violence in Iraq. U.S. President George W. Bush echoed this prediction.
Reports of Al-Qaeda terrorist cells in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Sinai are becoming increasingly prevalent. Just this week, Israel's General Security Service chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Al Qaeda has been taking root in PA strongholds in these areas, and were heavily involved in intensifying weapons smuggling into Gaza.
"Zarqawi and Al-Qaeda in Iraq have conducted terrorist activities against the Iraqi people for years," Casey said, "in attempts to undermine the Iraqi national government and coalition efforts to rebuild and stabilize Iraq."
Zarqawi was notorious for his massive car bomb attacks. In February 2005, for instance, no fewer than 125 people were killed when a car bomb he organized blew up in the midst of a large group of policemen in southern Iraq. In September 2004, 35 children and 7 adults were killed in a series of attacks he organized in Baghdad. Another 47 were killed around the same time in a car bomb attack outside the city. In December of that year, two simultaneous car bombs killed 60 people.
Zarqawi was also responsible for the attacks in three luxury hotels in Amman, Jordan last year, and he is considered to be responsible for the murderous attacks in the Sinai Desert as well.
Zarqawi and one of his key lieutenants, Sheikh Abdel Rahman, were killed late Wednesday afternoon in an air strike "against an identified, isolated safe house," said George W. Casey, the top U.S. military officer in Iraq . "Tips and intelligence from Iraqi senior leaders from his network led forces to al-Zarqawi and some of his associates who were conducting a meeting" in the area.
He said that though the killing was a significant blow to Al-Qaeda, it was unlikely to stem violence in Iraq. U.S. President George W. Bush echoed this prediction.
Reports of Al-Qaeda terrorist cells in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Sinai are becoming increasingly prevalent. Just this week, Israel's General Security Service chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Al Qaeda has been taking root in PA strongholds in these areas, and were heavily involved in intensifying weapons smuggling into Gaza.
"Zarqawi and Al-Qaeda in Iraq have conducted terrorist activities against the Iraqi people for years," Casey said, "in attempts to undermine the Iraqi national government and coalition efforts to rebuild and stabilize Iraq."
Zarqawi was notorious for his massive car bomb attacks. In February 2005, for instance, no fewer than 125 people were killed when a car bomb he organized blew up in the midst of a large group of policemen in southern Iraq. In September 2004, 35 children and 7 adults were killed in a series of attacks he organized in Baghdad. Another 47 were killed around the same time in a car bomb attack outside the city. In December of that year, two simultaneous car bombs killed 60 people.
Zarqawi was also responsible for the attacks in three luxury hotels in Amman, Jordan last year, and he is considered to be responsible for the murderous attacks in the Sinai Desert as well.