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The Black Prince Is Dead
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Issue
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| Contributor | Imperator |
| Last Edited | Imperator Jun 10, 2006 09:03am |
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| Category | General |
| News Date | Saturday, June 10, 2006 03:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the notorious headsman of Fallujah—and the man Osama bin Laden once referred to as “the prince of al Qaeda in Iraq”—was killed Wednesday.
By now we all know how. A few weeks ago, Iraqi civilians tipped police that Zarqawi was holed up in a safe-house near Baquba, about 40 miles north of Baghdad. Iraqi and American special-operations forces confirmed the reports. Military planners briefly considered a ground assault, but the possibility that a previously elusive Zarqawi might slip out the back door caused planners to draw up an air mission.
Over the past few days, combined elements of Iraqi policemen and the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry and 101st Airborne Divisions were moved-up as a quick reaction force, prepared to fight if an air attack only scattered those individuals targeted.
On Wednesday, just after 6:15 P.M. Iraq time (10:15 A.M. U.S. Eastern time), U.S. Air Force F-16s dropped two 500-pound precision-guided bombs on the targeted house. Zarqawi was home. The bombs struck, killing the Jordanian-born terrorist and several of his chief lieutenants.
It would be understating the impact of Zarqawi’s death to say it is a major blow to al Qaeda in Iraq. Combined with the recent thwarting of a terrorist plot in Canada, as well as unreported victories elsewhere in the world, al Qaeda globally is on the ropes.
In Iraq, Coalition forces are already acting on newly gleaned intelligence resulting from the attack. Early reports are that some 17 raids have been launched, and significant intelligence is being developed from each. |
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