In Washington, President Bush hailed Zarqawi’s death.

• President Bush: “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 Qaeda. 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.”

News of Zarqawi’s death was also welcomed by many Iraqis. This is Imad Kadhim, a resident of Baghdad.

• Imad Kadhim: “Zarqawi’s death means a chance for us to get rid of terrorism, God willing because he is a malicious man, a spiteful person who has no religious and no conscience. He hurts our people. We hope that peace and goodwill prevail and people go back to their works and those who traveled abroad returned to their families. The country has had enough from Zarqawi and his colleagues.”