Leaders express relief at death of al-Zarqawi

World leaders and terrorism experts described the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as a blow to al-Qaida, but warned that his network of lieutenants would step up to carry on his campaign of death and destruction in Iraq.

The terror leader’s death in an airstrike in Iraq brought relief, tempered by caution, over the legacy of the Jordanian who forged an insurgency by force of his personality.

Military commanders from Qatar to Kabul gloated over crushing the man who used beheadings as a signature act, including the widely seen footage of kidnapped American Nicholas Berg’s killing.

“This is so big. Everybody knows it’s not over, but this is so important,” US Central Command spokesman Navy Captain Frank Pascual said. “The war on terror doesn’t end today. Conflict and strife will continue. But this is cutting off the head of a vicious organisation.”

The government in Afghanistan, once host to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terror training camps before a US-led invasion ended the hard-line Taliban regime, cheered al-Zarqawi’s demise.

His splashy attacks also claimed the lives of many Muslims, including women and children, making him a pariah even in parts of the Islamic world.

“This success should encourage us all, both in the Muslim world and beyond, to continue and step up our common fight against terrorism,” President Hamid Karzai said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Zarqawi had been responsible for “many heinous crimes” and that his death should give some comfort to the Iraqi people.

“Of course, we cannot pretend that that will mean the end of the violence, but it is a relief that such a heinous and dangerous man who has caused so much harm to the Iraqis is no longer around to continue his work,” Annan said.

Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called the action a “step forward”, and senior vice foreign minister Katsutoshi Kaneda said he hoped the news would herald a new period of stability.

Following the announcement, oil prices fell below $70 a barrel for the first time in two weeks, in part because of hopes there will be greater security in the region.

“The hope is that with the removal of the terror leader in Iraq, the Iraqi situation will stabilise faster and future oil supply could increase,” said Victor Shum, a Singapore-based energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz.