WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) -- President Bush Thursday called the death of terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a "victory" in the war on terror but warned difficult days remain ahead in Iraq.
Zarqawi, once called "the prince of al-Qaida" in Iraq by Osama bin Laden, was killed was killed with a number of aides Wednesday evening Iraq time in a U.S. airstrike on a terrorist safehouse near Barqouba, about 30 miles northeast of Baghdad.
"Zarqawi is dead, but the difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues," Bush said in a statement delivered in the White House Rose Garden. "We can expect the terrorists and insurgents to carry on without him. We can expect the sectarian violence to continue. Yet the ideology of terror has lost one of its most visible and aggressive leaders.
"Zarqawi's death is a severe blow to al-Qaida. It is a victory in the global war on terror. And it is an opportunity for Iraq's new government to turn the tide in this struggle."
Iraqi and U.S. officials announced the death of the Jordanian-born terror leader in Baghdad earlier Thursday. They said the strike came about through information provided by local residents and Jordanian intelligence.
Officials said Zarqawi's body was identified by face recognition and fingerprints.
Zarqawi, who led his own terror group immediately after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, later pledged allegiance to bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States, and successfully eluded a concerted effort to capture or kill him.
Recently, he called for a sectarian war in Iraq.
Bush, while emphasizing the importance of Zarqawi's death, repeatedly stressed the fight to bring stability to Iraq was far from over. Others would take his place and violence would continue for the foreseeable future.
"We hve tough days ahead of us in Iraq that will require the continued patience of the American people," he said. "Yet the developments in of the last 24 hours give us renewed confidence in the final outcome of this struggle."
