    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [June 8, 2006]
    [Pages 1099-1100]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Death of Senior Al Qaida Associate Abu Musab Al
    Zarqawi
    June 8, 2006

        Good morning. Last night in Iraq, United States military forces
    killed the terrorist Al Zarqawi. At 6:15 Baghdad time, Special Operation
    forces, acting on tips and intelligence from Iraqis, confirmed Zarqawi's
    location and delivered justice to the most wanted terrorist in Iraq.
        Zarqawi was the operational commander of the terrorist movement in
    Iraq. He led a campaign of car bombings, assassinations, and suicide
    attacks that has taken the lives of many American forces and thousands
    of innocent Iraqis. Usama bin Laden called
    this Jordanian terrorist ``the prince of Al Qaida in Iraq.'' He called
    on the terrorists around the world to listen to him and obey him.
    Zarqawi personally beheaded American hostages and other civilians in
    Iraq. He masterminded the destruction of the United Nations headquarters
    in Baghdad. He was responsible for the assassination of an American
    diplomat in Jordan and the bombing of a hotel in Amman.
        Through his every action, he sought to defeat America and our
    coalition partners and turn Iraq into a safe haven from which Al Qaida
    could wage its war on free nations. To achieve these ends, he worked to
    divide Iraqis and incite civil war. And only last week, he released an
    audio tape attacking Iraq's elected leaders and denouncing those
    advocating the end of sectarianism.
        Now Zarqawi has met his end, and this violent man will never murder
    again. Iraqis can be justly proud of their new Government and its early
    steps to improve their security. And Americans can be enormously proud
    of the men and women of our Armed Forces, who worked tirelessly with
    their Iraqi counterparts to track down this brutal terrorist and to put
    him out of business.
        The operation against Zarqawi was conducted with courage and
    professionalism by the finest military in the world. Coalition and Iraqi
    forces persevered through years

    [[Page 1100]]

    of near misses and false leads, and they never gave up. Last night their
    persistence and determination were rewarded. On behalf of all Americans,
    I congratulate our troops on this remarkable achievement.
        Zarqawi is dead, but the difficult and necessary mission in Iraq
    continues. 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's a victory in the
    global war on terror, and it is an opportunity for Iraq's new Government
    to turn the tide of this struggle. Two minutes ago, I spoke to Prime
    Minister Maliki. I congratulated him on
    close collaboration between coalition and Iraqi forces that helped make
    this day possible. Iraq's freely elected Prime Minister is determined to
    defeat our common enemies and bring security and the rule of law to all
    his people.
        Earlier this morning, he announced the
    completion of his Cabinet appointments with the naming of a new Minister
    of Defense, a new Minister of the
    Interior, and a new Minister of State for
    National Security. These new ministers are
    part of a democratic government that represents all Iraqis. They will
    play a vital role as the Iraqi Government addresses its top priorities:
    reconciliation and reconstruction and putting an end to the kidnapings
    and beheadings and suicide bombings that plague the Iraqi people. I
    assured Prime Minister Maliki that he will have the full support of the
    United States of America.
        On Monday, I will meet with my national security team and other key
    members of my Cabinet at Camp David to discuss the way forward in Iraq.
    Our top diplomats and military commanders in Iraq will give me an
    assessment of recent changes in the political and economic and security
    situation on the ground. On Tuesday, Iraq's new Ambassador to the United
    States will join us, and we will
    have a teleconference discussion with the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet. Together we will discuss how
    to best deploy America's resources in Iraq and achieve our shared goal
    of an Iraq that can govern itself, defend itself, and sustain itself.
        We have tough days ahead of us in Iraq that will require the
    continued patience of the American people. Yet the developments of the
    last 24 hours give us renewed confidence in the final outcome of this
    struggle, the defeat of terrorism threats, and a more peaceful world for
    our children and grandchildren.
        May God bless the Iraqi people, and may God continue to bless
    America.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:31 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki,
    Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji, Minister of the Interior
    Jawad al-Bulani, and Minister of State for National Security Shirwan al-
    Waili of Iraq; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist
    organization; and Iraq's Ambassador to the U.S. Samir Shakir al-Sumaydi.