That's gonna leave a mark...

U.S. officials made an official announcement this morning that Al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed in Iraq by a U.S.-led airstrike that dropped two 500-pound bombs on a house in which al-Zarqawi was meeting with other insurgent leaders.

The good news (yes, I believe it’s good news) about Zarqawi’s death comes as news of more violence is being reported, including two bombs striking a market and a police patrol in Baghdad, with the bombs killing (at least) 19 people and wounding “more than 40.”

Getting back to al-Zarqawi, various reports from U.S. military officials seem to indicate that Zarqawi may have been exposed by a group of individuals that were close to him, with some believing that this suggests an internal power struggle among Al-Qaida with the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, General George Casey, stating that, “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… when the air strike was launched.”

Granted, we’ve all been told that al-Zarqawi has been killed before, but this time it seems to be accurate, with various individuals and organizations verifying his death.

Will this end the insurgency in Iraq? Absolutley not.

Will it ebb the insurgent attacks in Iraq? Possibly.

Is it a ‘victory’ for the Bush Administration? Doubtful... but one never knows.

Stay tuned...