|
|
|
Photograph of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi after his death. Click image to view. |
Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan: The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the late commander of al Qaeda in Iraq, has provided the Coalition forces and the Iraqi people with a moral victory against al Qaeda in Iraq. Zarqawi was a powerful symbol of modern jihad, a ruthless commander willing to exercise brutality on the battlefield. Zarqawi is a legend in the jihadi community, who is often said to rival Osama bin Laden in popularity among the younger breed of jihadists. Zarqawi’s image and audio and video tapes are widely distributed, and his trademark skullcap a fashion statement.
Task Force 145 was very likely the linchpin in the success in killing Zarqawi, Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman, his spiritual adviser, and other lieutenants during a high-level meeting. Over the past two months, TF-145 has conducted numerous raids and killed or captured numerous high-level members of Zarqawi’s organization in the area directly north and west of Baghdad. Known strikes against senior members of al Qaeda in Iraq’s organization were executed in Baghdad, Ramadi, Yusifiyah, Muthana Chemical Complex at Lake Thar Thar, Samarra, Karbala, Jublayah, and Balad. Zarqawi was finally identified and targeted in Baquba, a city with an entrenched insurgent presence. “Tips and intelligence from Iraqi senior leaders from his network led forces to al-Zarqawi and some of his associates who were conducting a meeting approximately eight kilometers north of Baqubah hen the air strike was launched,” according to Multinational Forces-Iraq.
Task Force 145’s operations were not random, but a concerted operation based on intelligence on al Qaeda’s organization and whereabouts in the region north and west of Baghdad. Zarqawi and al Qaeda focused their efforts on the Iraqi capital of Baghdad in an effort to influence the western media, incite a civil war and destabilize the nascent Iraqi government. This required moving their operational capabilities closer to the capital.
|
|
|
Major Task Force 145 operations lead to death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Click to view map. |
The tightening of al Qaeda’s network in and around Baghdad provided Task Force 145 an opportunity to focus on Zarqawi’s organization. Task Force 145 systematically began to dismantle al Qaeda’s organization from the bottom up. Cell leaders, financiers, facilitators and military commanders were rolled up in a series of target raids, slowly degrading al Qaeda’s capabilities while opening a window to al Qaeda’s organization and operations. The raids provided intelligence for follow-up strikes, which ultimately led to the attack of Zarqawi’s safe house.
Despite the popular perception that killing or capturing al Qaeda mid-level commanders is a game of “whack-a-mole”, the reality is al Qaeda in Iraq has limited resources and a finite pool of expertise. Over time, as less experienced leaders fill the positions of the more experienced, this impacts al Qaeda’s organization in effectiveness, leadership, ability to network and degrades operational security.
The death of Zarqawi will not end the insurgency or bury al Qaeda in Iraq. The race is now on to find a suitable replacement to Zarqawi. His organization has been degraded over the past year, and Zarqawi’s death will show the west the real status of the Mujahideen Shura Council. Zarqawi’s last audiotape called for a furthering of the Sunni-Shiite divide, a position which al Qaeda senior command was at odds with (not from a philosophical perspective but from an operational perspective – al Qaeda was concerned with alienating the Muslim world while fighting the “far enemy” in Iraq.) Another question which is raise is who will succeed Zarqawi in his international terrorist organization, al-Tawhid wa’l-Jihad (Unity and Jihad Group), which operates in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and his network extends into Northern Africa and Europe.
16 Comments
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Killed
Maybe those poor Iraqis will get some peace.
Reactions to Zarqawis Death
– CNN: he will be replaced by someone else that the US can’t find.- Fox: he will be replaced, but the new guy won’t have the experience, connections or reputation to be effective.- [URL=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_eas …
Al-Zarqawi ‘terminated’
“Today, al-Zarqawi was terminated”, Iraqi PM al-Maliki
The Counterterrorism blog covers this bit of cleaning up here. While Bill Roggio has some back ground of the SF unit involved in this bit of late spring cleaning here.
– Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – Terrorist Terminated
The long awaited news is finally here. One of the wicked terrorists is dead. While others rejoice it might be viewed with relief that many lives no longer have to worry about Zarqawi running around and plotting their death.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the …
!Update! Iraqi PM: Zarqawi killed in airstrike!
Update. Oil price fall on al-Zarqawi death.
Update. At the White House. The President’s reaction.
Update. News Conference in Baghdad. Death mug shot. Video (F-16). Tracking for about a month….
America’s #1 Enemy, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Dead
Al Qaeda in Iraq’s leader, Abu Musab al Zarqawi is dead! This post to be updated throughout the day. [Right: An image of the dead al Zarqawi from Howie] Vinnie’s original report on Zarqawi’s death. Demosophist: The Jeb Stuart…
Z-Day
Wednesday, June 7, is an important new date in the war on terror. Let’s call it “Z-Day”…. Bill Roggio weighs in on how the Z-Day strike was conducted, on its importance, and with video links.
Major Blow to al Qaeda: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Killed
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda leader in Iraq, has been killed in a U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad. His identity has been confirmed through visual identification and fingerprints (video of announcement). Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said al-Zarq…
Good Work, Fellas (Updated)
**UPDATE** See below… Bye, bye, AMZ. You *won’t* be missed. As many have pointed out already, this isn’t the end. But it is one of the innumerable steps forward toward victory. The background to the operation– which we’ll never know,…
Zapping Zarqawi
I got the phone call a little after 6AM local. Zarqawi was dead. It was good news. Only Osama deserved to die as much as this guy.
The video of the airstrike that got him can be viewed here.
You would think the dancing in the streets of Baghdad and…
Zarqawi Meets His Virgins
This time, unlike previous reports of Zarqawi’s death, this blood thirsty terrorist died today, a death too easy frankly, considering the viciousness of his acts against humanity. The US CENTCOM press release from earlier today is found here. What I
Death of Zarqawi
He chose his targets with an almost diabolical cunning, destroying the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad (and murdering the heroic envoy Sérgio Vieira de Melo) almost before it could begin operations, and killing the leading Shiite Ayatollah Hakim …
Task Force 145 Liquidates al-Zarqawi
There is a considerable amount of traffic lloking for details on Task Force 145. The Counter Terror Blog has a nice summary of the Task Forces efforts thus far.
Task Force 145 was very likely the linchpin in the success in killing Zarqawi, Sheik Abd-Al…
WOO-HOO
Lunchtime viewing: Another rocking musical tribute to the troops from Hot Air Films. Enjoy. It drives the Left mad. *** Related: ABC News spotlights the “men in the shadow”–Task Force 145. Of course, if you’ve been reading Bill Roggio, you…
Berg: Zarqawi “Close Personal Friend”
Abu Musab al Zarqawi was reported killed in an airstrike yesterday. Following the announcement, Michael Berg, father of Nick Berg whose gruesome decapitation was posted on the internet and made national headlines, talked to reporters, and called the de…
Thank You Ft. Bragg and Our Troops!
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and now a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, Special ops units had role Fort Bragg special operations forces played an integral role in the air strike…