Zarqawi is toast.

[GroundPounderUSMC]

Retrieved from MSNBC.com.thanks for fixing my screw up, Mondine =).

U.S. military seized on rendezvous between terrorist, spiritual adviser

P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq who waged a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and beheadings, was killed overnight by F-16 jets dropping two 500-pound bombs, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday. It was a long-sought victory in the war in Iraq.P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]Al-Zarqawi and seven aides, including spiritual adviser Sheik Abdul Rahman, were killed inside a building in a remote area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad, officials said.P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell showed what he said was a picture of al-Zarqawi after he was killed, and a videotape of an attack in which he said F-16 fighter jets dropped two 500-pound bombs on the site.P class=textBodyBlackP class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]"We had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Zarqawi was in the house," Caldwell said. P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]B[b]‘Painstaking intelligence effort’/[b]/BBRThe spokesman said U.S. and Iraqi intelligence found al-Zarqawi by following his spiritual adviser. P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]“Through a painstaking intelligence effort, we were able to start tracking him, monitor his movements and establish when he was doing his linkup with al-Zarqawi,” he said. “What everyone needs to understand is the strike last night did not occur in a 24-hour period.” P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]Caldwell also said U.S. and Iraqi troops carried out 17 raids around Baghdad following al-Zarqawi's killing.P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]“It truly was a very long, painstaking, deliberate exploitation of intelligence, information gathering, human sources, electronics, signal intelligence that was done over a period of time, many, many weeks,” Caldwell said. P class=textBodyBlackSPAN id=byLine[/color]Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had called a press conference to announce that “al-Zarqawi was terminated.”P class=textBodyBlackP class=textBodyBlackP class=textBodyBlackFor those of you whom i've offended, I apologize. I apoligize that this suicide bombing, rapist, muderer, terrorist means more to you alive than dead. I also apologize to the ones who are against the US Military being in Iraq(making it easier for you to sleep at night) I apologize for protecting our country to the best of my abilities also. I know it seems like all we do is go to different countries and blow stuff up, and I apologize for that too. Also, for those of you who think that they wanted to just blow up our towers, the london subway, and a few more places, just to send a message, and then they would leave it alone.... I'm sorry we took our a man you hold so deeply in your hearts. P class=textBodyBlackBut for those of you like me, who are all about protecting what is yours. We got another one... =)P class=textBodyBlackOsama.....you're next.

[chevydriver1123]

I say good ridance to one of the many virus of Iraq but from what Ive learned in college about Terrorism is that when it comes to leadership its like a pez despenser one drops down another takes its place.

[GroundPounderUSMC]

Good analogy. And thanks for posting with intelligence.

Last thing I want to do is start another flame war. lol

[puppynut5]

However...I wonder if we actually got him or if it's just a tactic to mind fuck the people of Iraq.... I guess I'll never know probably.

[dauodwa]

In'er some investigation going on as to whether or not Zakawi was taken
of a stretcher and beaten to death by US soldiers? If they did, I'd
like to know who exactly did that so I can give them a million bucks.