[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     A VICTORY IN THE WAR ON TERROR

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, earlier today, we witnessed an important 
victory in the war on terror and in the continued march of freedom and 
democracy in Iraq.
  Al-Zarqawi, like Saddam Hussein, was a mass murderer. I am not sad to 
say that he has made his last video.
  I could not be more proud of our men and women in uniform--our 
military and intelligence services and those individuals who 
participated in this particular operation. Our intelligence and 
military forces have demonstrated their exceptional abilities and 
reminded us yet again that, through patience and resolve, we will 
continue to win the war on terror and advance the cause of freedom 
around the globe.
  So I want to say to our military forces and our intelligence 
community serving all around the world that we support you, we are 
proud of you, and we know that you will continue to keep up the good 
work.
  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, last night the U.S. military, as we know 
now, working hand in hand with the Iraqi counterpart, located and 
killed al-Qaida terrorist Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi. We know who this 
terrorist is. He is a brutal terrorist who has repeatedly encouraged 
violence against Americans and Iraqi citizens.
  Al-Zarqawi is credited with ordering kidnappings, beheadings, and 
killings of innocent civilians with insurgent attacks. Al-Zarqawi was 
the operational mastermind of the al-Qaida network in Iraq. He sought 
to destroy America and our coalition partners to create a sanctuary for 
the al-Qaida organization in the Middle East. His death marks the 
fragmentation of al-Qaida's primary leadership and the silencing of a 
ruthless terrorist.
  The military operation against al-Zarqawi was performed by our 
dedicated, professional Armed Forces in concert with our coalition 
partner. Our military servicemembers should be commended for their 
remarkable efforts in eradicating the enemy of a free and democratic 
Iraq.
  Our war fighters worked tirelessly with our Iraqi counterparts 
tracking the movement of al-Zarqawi's followers, leading to his demise 
in last night's airstrike.
  We are proud of the success of this operation, but even prouder of 
the job that our Armed Forces have accomplished in their commitment to 
peace and stability in Iraq. Although this is positive development and 
significant step in the global war on terror, our fight in Iraq is far 
from over. We are making significant strides toward eradicating 
terrorism, developing a free government, and reviving the economy. But 
Iraq will not become a democracy overnight. While our involvement 
continues to be difficult, our resolve must remain strong. We must 
remain focused on our fundamental goal--preserving the freedom and 
security of the United States. This is an enormous challenge that will 
take determination, global cooperation, and fortitude to succeed. I am 
confident the United States will triumph over global chaos and tyranny, 
as it always has. But whatever it is, we must back our troops.

                          ____________________