Al-Qaida in Iraq on Thursday confirmed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s death and 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 sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,” said the statement, signed by “Abu Abdel-Rahman al-Iraqi,” identified as the deputy “emir,” or leader, of al-Qaida in Iraq. “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.”
Meanwhile, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, speaking to reporters in Baghdad said Zarqawi deputy was identified by intelligence officials at least two weeks ago with the cooperation of “somebody inside the al-Zarqawi network.”
"Through a painstaking intelligence effort, we were able to start tracking him, monitor his movements and establish when he was doing his link-up with al-Zarqawi," said Caldwell. "Last night he made a link-up again at 6:15, at which time a decision was made to go ahead and strike that target and eliminate both of them."
