OneJerusalem.com

Hat Tip: DerbyDeadPool.co.uk
It what might go down as the Breaking News event of the week, if not the last month, Al Qaeda terrorist finally met his ultimate destiny Wednesday in war-torn Iraq. The Jordanian born terrorist, reputed to be responsible for many of the terror attacks in Iraq, as well as the one last December in Amman, was killed when the house he and several other All Qaeda operatives were hiding in was bombed by an American air strike.

“Today is a great day of celebration for the people of Iraq”, Nuri Al Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister, said at an address to his countrymen following the announcement of al-Zarqawi’s demise. “We can now get on with making our country whole again, due to this horrible person being eliminated from our lives”, Al Maliki continued.

Regarded as Iraqi Public Enemy No. 1 by both the American led Coalition forces, as well as by Iraqi authorites, Al Zarqawi was regarded no less notoriously than the top Al Qaeda leaders Usama bin Ladin and Ayman Al Zawahiri. Al Zarqawi also carried a $25 million price on his head, and was alleged to be behind the beheading of more than twenty foreign nationals, including American Nicholas Berg, since the removal of Saddam Hussein from power in April, 2003. He is also reputed to be responsible for the kidnapping and killing of the CARE organization Chairperson, Margaret Hassan, who’s contribution to the care and well being of the people of Iraq was not enough to prevent her from being Al Zarqawi’s victim as well.

That Al Zarqawi could last as long as he did was a wonder in itself, as numerous attempts had previously been made to take him out, including the massive attack on the city of Falluja, nearly two years ago, in which he was reported to have been seriously wounded. The Al Qaeda propaganda machine, that included the screening of several video tapes on Arab news medias like Al Jizarra, painted the picture of a man so utterly ruthless that even the mention of his name brought waves of fear among those who were at his mercy within Iraq. Al Zarqawi’s link to terrosim, and to Al Qaeda for that matter, go back much farther than the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Jordan government had already tried and condemned him to death in abstentia for numerous terror crimes going back more than ten years. Rumor has also had it that Al Zarqawi was directing activities of Al Qaedaq operatives alleged to be in Palestinian controlled areas as well.

With his elimination, the question now is what about the two previously mentioned Al Qaeda ‘biggies’, bin Ladin and Al Zawahiri. Both are still at large, and still putting out a tape occasionally to prove that they are still foes to be reckoned with. The mountainous terrain of eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, where they are alleged to be holed up in, is a bit more problematic in respect to digging them out of the hole of cave they are hiding in. And this is in respect of their having a $25 million price on their heads as well. The Bush Administration, seeing its political fortunes flagging in recent months, will make good political capitalization out of Al Zarqawi’s death. They would love to have the same ‘opportunity’ with Bin Ladin and Co.; otherwise a “certain woman” just might wind up sitting in the Oval Office of the White House in January, 2009.