AP is reporting Zarqawi dead!

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whose bloody campaign of beheadings and suicide bombings made him the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq, was killed when U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on his isolated safe house, officials said Thursday. His death was a long-sought victory in the war in Iraq.

The targeted airstrike Wednesday evening was the culmination of a two-week-long hunt for al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. Tips from senior militants led U.S. forces to follow al-Zarqawi's spiritual adviser to the safe house, 30 miles outside Baghdad, for a meeting with the terror leader. The adviser, Sheik Abdul Rahman, was among seven aides also killed.

Fingerprints, tattoos and scars helped U.S. troops identify al-Zarqawi's body, White House spokesman Tony Snow said. The U.S. military released a picture of al-Zarqawi's face after the airstrike, with his eyes closed and spots of blood behind him, an image reminiscent of photos of Saddam Hussein's slain sons from the early days of the war.

"Al-Zarqawi was eliminated," Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.

President Bush, who learned of the deadly airstrike Wednesday afternoon, hailed the killing as "a severe blow to al-Qaida and it is a significant victory in the war on terror."

But he cautioned: "We have tough days ahead of us in Iraq that will require the continuing patience of the American people."

Around the time news reports announced al-Zarqawi's death, two bombs hit a market and a police patrol in Baghdad, killing at least 19 people and wounding more than 40. Police differed on whether the bombs struck shortly before or after the 10:30 a.m. news. Later, a parked car bomb exploded in north Baghdad, killing six people and wounding 15.

Al-Qaida in Iraq vowed to continue its "holy war," according to a statement posted on a Web site.

"We want to give you the joyous news of the martyrdom of the mujahed sheik Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

"The death of our leaders is life for us. It will only increase our persistence in continuing holy war so that the word of God will be supreme."

My first thought... "Good riddance for bad rubbish."

My next thought... "It aint over."

From the same piece:

Al-Qaida in Iraq vowed to continue its "holy war," according to a statement posted on a Web site.

"We want to give you the joyous news of the martyrdom of the mujahed sheik Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

"The death of our leaders is life for us. It will only increase our persistence in continuing holy war so that the word of God will be supreme."

There is a certainty that Zarqawi's death will not result in the crumbling of the terror networks in Iraq... However, there are many things to be excited about.

This murderous thug got his just deserts. For that, I am immeasurably happy. One of the benefits I am sure we will see from this success is an uptick in troop morale, which has to have been suffering as a result of the Haditha incident and various setbacks in Iraq. Likewise, I am sure the Iraqi people are breathing a sigh of relief at the news. See Malkin's blog for a roundup of some of the Iraqi blogger reactions, and some great photos and videos.

The news of Zarqawi's death will likely result in an increased sense of resolve for all those responsible for returning stability to the country, and may even result in the accelerated capture or death of others involved, as intelligence is gathered from the wreckage of Zarqawis safe house... We can at least hope.

UPDATE: Looks like I was right:

Shortly after the strikes, 17 more raids were conducted on other suspected hideouts for Zarqawi associates in Baghdad. They produced a "treasure trove" of information, according to the Americans.

As expected, there are tons of others blogging on the news:

Counterterrorism Blog, mnf-iraq.com, blogenlust, Gateway Pundit, Mark in Mexico, The Glittering Eye, Outside The Beltway, A Blog For All, Blinq, Media Blog on National …, PunditGuy, AMERICAblog, Left I on the News, the talking dog, Security Watchtower, Democrats.com, Blue Crab Boulevard, QandO, PoliBlog, AMERICAN FUTURE and Bark Bark Woof Woof

Democrat Taylor Marsh …, MSNBC, Right Wing Nut House, Global Guerrillas, All Things Beautiful, Counterterrorism Blog, Hammorabi, Obsidian Wings, The Wide Awake Cafe, The Washington Monthly, Villainous Company, The Sundries Shack, The Carpetbagger Report, Mark in Mexico, TAPPED, The American Thinker, The RCP Blog and The Strata-Sphere

Read them all for a good cross section of news and opinion... Another great round up here.

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