NEW ZARQAWI INFO

Dancing in the streets. Bill Roggio says it was likely the handiwork of Task Force 145. As expected.

Here’s what the scene looked like afterwards:

The Times says there was enough left of him to identify facial features, fingerprints, and known scars on his body. Here’s hoping they go the Uday/Qusay route and release the autopsy photos.

Needless to say, there’ll be updates here throughout the day. In the meantime, here’s video of Bush’s announcement. Click the image to watch.

It’s going to be a long day for Newsbusters.

I’m off to round-up reaction from the usual suspects. Confederate Yankee says the good folks at Democrats.com are celebrating — because now we can pull out and have it look kinda sorta like a victory. Send me any links you find of people questioning the timing, the stupider the better. Ten points if they tie it to Haditha, a thousand points if they tie it to the start of Yearly Kos.

Update: Greater unity through dead terrorists:

For Mr. Maliki, a Shiite, the killing of Mr. Zarqawi brought immediate political results in the form of parliamentary approval, immediately after the news conference, of Mr. Maliki’s nominees for the vacant security posts in the cabinet, the ministers of defense, interior and national security… The new ministers were named as Gen. Abdul Qadr Mohammed Jassim, a former general under Saddam Hussein who was jailed in 1994 and sentenced to seven years imprisonment, as minister of defense; Jawad Khadim Polani, a former air force engineering specialist under Mr. Hussein, as minister of the interior, responsible for the police; and Shirwan al-Waili as minister of national security.

Update: If you thought the revenge couldn’t get any sweeter, you were wrong. Remember this?

Link via SFPH, who’s also covering the “celebrations” at dKos. He missed this one, though. Thanks to Homemade Sin for that. Also this one, this one — and yet, oddly, this is the one that ends up on the frontpage. I wonder why.

There’s really no point trying to round up DU. The threads are coming fast and furious and most (but not all) are what you’d expect. Here’s a good one, though. Superficially off-topic but in the larger sense, right on point.

Update: Ahhhh, that’s the stuff.

Update: Debka says Al Qaeda has named Zarqawi’s successor.

Update: Turns out the military displayed a photo of Zarqawi’s corpse at the press conference. Confederate Yankee provides the screencap. Update: Yahoo News has a close-up here.

Update: Al Jazeera interviews Zarqawi’s degenerate family. Everyone’s sad except for the ones who are happy he’s gone to heaven to be with the other martyrs. Update: The AJ obit writer searches for an adjective to describe the attacks carried out by Zarqawi’s men — and settles on “headline-grabbing.” Update: Al Qaeda’s celebrating the “joyous” news too.

Update: Heh:

Update: Great photos over at Getty:

Update: Fox says there’s a White House briefing at 10:15. NRO has quick-take reactions from a number of people, including Victor Davis Hanson.

Update: CNN wonders if that video was Zarqawi’s undoing.

Update: Richard Engel blogs the “uncontainable excitement” at the press conference for MSNBC. Reports of ululation!

Update: Ken Bigley’s brother hopes Zarqawi rots in hell. Nick Berg’s wretched, wretched father is sad that “another human being had to die.”

Update: The WH press conference is starting now. Fox says Bush was told the news yesterday afternoon. Tony Snow says that Bush was meeting with Congressmen from both parties at 3:30 yesterday afternoon about Iraq and Rep. Ray LaHood said things would be better if Zarqawi were taken out. Phone calls came in from Khalilzad and Rumsfeld over the next hour about a strike that might have taken out Zarqawi. Stephen Hadley briefed Bush about it, who said drily, “That would be a good thing.” By 9:30 last night it had been confirmed.

Bush spoke to Blair and Maliki this morning. The U.S. and Iraqi cabinets will be meeting via teleconference on Tuesday. Snow predicts recriminations from the jihadis in country.

Update: Here’s what he looked like before they cleaned him up:

Update: Our friends in Palestine are keeping a stiff upper lip. Update: Richard Clarke isn’t impressed, either.

Update: The attack apparently took two weeks to plan — and it might have taken out as many as seven other jihadis.

ZARQAWI, ABDUL RAHMAN KILLED!!!!!

Yes, you read right. The AP’s Patrick Quinn is reporting that terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

“has been killed in a U.S. air raid north of Baghdad, Iraq’s prime minister said Thursday. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said al-Zarqawi was killed Wednesday evening along with seven aides.”

You should’ve seen the smiles on U.S. Ambassador Khalilzad’s and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki’s faces as they announced the deaths. I’ll guarantee that this will be a major boost to President Bush’s approval ratings. People have been dispirited with news about the Haditha incident and a perceived lack of progress in Iraq. That perception should be discredited immediately by Zarqawi’s killing.

While continuing to monitor the press conference in Iraq on FNC,

Gen. George Casey said that, in addition to Zarqawi being killed in the airstrike, Sheikh Abdul Rahman was killed with him. The airstrike was on an “isolated safehouse approximately 8 km north of Baquba.”

Needless to say that killing both Zarqawi and Sheikh Abdul Rahman is a huge deal, even bigger than just getting Zarqawi. FNC’s Greg Palkot said that the killing of Zarqawi will change the dynamic in Iraq in that Zarqawi was able to recruit people all the way from Europe to come kill Americans. Palkot also noted that Zarqawi was far more ruthless than Zawahiri, being totally willing to kill fellow Muslims, including women and children.

UPDATE: Fox is reporting that the Iraqi Parliament has confirmed the Defense and Interior ministers. They haven’t given the names of those ministers confirmed.

UPDATE II: Here’s a Gen. Casey quote from an AFP article that’s significant:

“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 approximately eight kilometers (five miles) north of Baquba, when the air strike was launched.”

The significance of this can’t be underestimated. To have gotten the tip that led to Zarqawi’s death in the airstrikes from his inner circle can’t make whoever succeeds Zarqawi more than a bit nervous.

UPDATE III: Fox & Friends are interviewing Stephen Schwartz, author of “The Two Faces of Islam”. Schwartz is absolutely jubilant, citing the fact that the tip that triggered the airstrike came from Zarqawi’s inner circle. He’s saying that this is confirmation of what he’s been hearing that the Saudis are getting serious about fighting the GWOT. He also said that this tells him that the Iraqi people were putting alot of pressure on the terrorists. Schwartz said that this is definitely a major turning point. I hope so but I’ll wait to see if it turns out that way.

UPDATE IV: President Bush will deliver a statement on the killing of Zarqawi from the White House at 6:30am CT. Expect him to congratulate the Iraqi government on this & on the confirmation of their Defense & Interior Ministers. He’s also likely to thank the Jordanians for their help in pinpointing Zarqawi’s location.

UPDATE V: FNC’s Brett Baier is opining that, based on conversations that he’s had with senior defense officials, that they consider this a bigger get than bin Laden himself because Zarqawi is “more involved operationally.” WOW!!!

UPDATE VI: Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney is guessing that a Hellfire missile from a Predator drone is what they used to kill Zarqawi. He said, too, that Task Force 145 likely wasn’t too close to this ’safehouse’ because it might’ve tipped them off that something was about to happen.

ZARQAWI HAS BEEN KILLED

By Michelle Malkin

***scroll for updates...video of Iraqi PM announcement added...oil prices drop after announcement...the Kos crazies are at it already...scars and fingerprints used to identify Zarqawi body...dancing in the streets...Bush transcript...official CENTCOM press release...the Left acts like the Left...MSM spins...Nick Berg's dad bashes Bush...Task Force 145/Bill Roggio told you...1015am White House briefing coming up...Snow: "We have been crushing the opposition, but what happens is the opposition has been controlling the airwaves...as long as terrorists have isolated acts of violence that capture attention, they win...Zarqawi operation was not just a one-off operation...one of 17...Iraqis are cooperation..."***

Here he is. (Hat tip: Confederate Yankee)

At last (graphic now up at FoxNews.com)

Click to download video of announcement/applause. (WMV file.)

The scene of Zarqawi's elimination (Hat tip: Allah)

***

3:20 EDT: Ok, I think this is the 56th time this has been reported. But late night news bulletins are coming in about Zarqawi being killed in Iraq. Will update as info comes in.

Readers send word that ABC News reported the story early this morning. F/R thread here. Bloggers Freedom Folks and Mark Moore hearing the reports as well. MSNBC.com is headlining, but no story yet:

330am EDT update. CNN Jamie McInytre in Iraq reports that military officials need "additional forensics" to confirm. Two Pentagon sources tell him they "believe" Zarqawi is dead.

Iraqi PM announcement expected.

First wire report:

Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was expected to make an important announcement at a news conference in Baghdad on Thursday amid a report that al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been killed, his adviser said.

Al-Maliki adviser Adnan al-Kazimi told The Associated Press there was a report that al-Zarqawi may have been killed late Wednesday in Baghdad. He said he could not confirm the report.

He said al-Maliki was scheduled to shortly give a news conference along with the top U.S. general in Iraq, Gen. George Casey.

MSNBC now has story up:

Al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed overnight in an operation by U.S. Special Operations Forces, U.S. military officials told NBC News on Thursday.

ABC News reported that he was killed in a U.S. air attack on a house in Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was expected to make an important announcement at a news conference in Baghdad on Thursday, one of his advisers said.

3:43 am EDT. News conference is being broadcast. Iraqi PM Nuri Al-Maliki announces:

"Zarqawi has been killed."

Applause breaks out.

US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalizad:

"The death of Abu Musab al Zarqawi marks a great success for Iraq and the global War on Terror. We'd like to congratulate Gen. Casey, who has been here now for 700 days.

Gen. Casey: Full briefing at 3pm Iraq time to give full operational details. Hard to hear through the translation, but Gen. Casey mentioned an airstrike and Iraqi police being first on the scene.

Oak Leaf at Polipundit:

{So we now know that he was killed in a house north of Baghdad with seven associates, that were probably valued targets. The operation was run by US Special Operations Command involving air (rotary/fixed wing) and ground forces.}

***

The rundown at 430am EDT:

Pajamas Media * Counterterrorism Blog * ABCNews * Reuters * CNN * AP

Iraqi blogger Omar at Iraq the Model rejoices.

950am update: Video of Bush announcement here.

Andy McCarthy:

Hopefully, Zarqawi’s demise is a clarifying event in the United States—for the administration, the Congress, and—hope against hope—the media. This was the real American military in action, in all its effectiveness, doing what the American people sent it to do despite often impossibly difficult circumstances: namely, eliminate nondescript terrorists who strike in stealth then weave themselves back into the civilian population.

It is a mission our brave men and women—again, the real American military—perform brilliantly, day in and day out, despite lethal danger to themselves and immense pressure to perform flawlessly. Yet, what we hear about back home is Abu Ghraib. What we hear about is Haditha—as to which the anti-war champion of the current fifteen minutes, Congressman Jack Murtha, is poised to accord our Marines a lot less due process than he and other members are extending to their radioactive colleague, Rep. William Jefferson.

What we might want to remember from time to time is that ever since we unleashed our forces, no American city has had to bury thousands of its dead or gaze upon barren craters where skyscrapers once stood.

Let’s further pray that the administration heeds what is sure to be the very strong public approval of Zarqawi’s killing, apparently along with other terrorists, notwithstanding that it came in an air strike—i.e., an attack of the kind which always carries the risk of collateral casualties.

No one wants to see innocents harmed. But we are at war—something often noted but never quite remembered. Innocents are in peril, both here and in Iraq (and elsewhere) as long as jihadists thrive.

Austin Bay takes on the Kos-spiracists.

10:23 EDT update.

Tony Snow is recounting how National Security advisor Stephen Hadley, Rumsfeld, and President Bush, etc., were apprised of the news. When Bush told of strike and possible death of Zarqawi:

"That would be a good thing."

Snow continues: "This morning upon reaching Oval Office...645am...Bush spoke with Tony Blair...7am: spoke with Iraqi PM for 25 minutes..."

***

Previous:

April 29, 2006: Special forces target Zarqawi
April 25, 2006: Zarqawi tape
November 20, 2005: Dead or alive?
May 24, 2005: Zarqawi rumors floating