Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is Dead

He was killed in a U.S. air strike yesterday.

There will be many, many people commenting on this major development. And I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the coming days. But my first reaction is this: al-Zarqawi’s death is not just a positive development, it is a significant victory both in the Iraq War and the Global War on Terror. The terrorist attacks in Iraq could very well go on unabated, but the dark ideology fueling the most vicious attacks has lost its most renowned and powerful leader.

This will undoubtedly disrupt al Qaeda’s command structure and fill the terrorist group’s other leaders with dread. It turns out that the American military and spy networks in league with Iraq’s new government do indeed have the skill and ability to track down and kill even the most elusive enemies.

Certainly we should proceed with caution and not overplay the lasting importance of this victory. But make no mistake, it is a victory. A major one.