[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 23 (Monday, June 12, 2006)]
[Pages 1100-1101]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 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 kidnappings and beheadings and 
suicide

[[Page 1101]]

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 Abdel Qadir Muhammed Jassim, Minister of the 
Interior Jawad al-Bolani, and Minister of State for National Security 
Sherwan 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.