I believe his demise, given his role, given his charisma, given his star power, given his ability to raise money and keep various organizations together...this is a significant setback for the organization.
Khalilzad emphasizes the impact of Zarqawi's death on al Qaeda's operations.
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More from Zalmay Khalilzad
I think it is a major opportunity because al-Zarqawi was the leader of the terrorist organization that sought a sectarian war.
Our work in Afghanistan is not yet done. It will take several years and sustained commitment of significant resources by the United States and the international community before the country can stand on its own feet.
The assumption was--it turns out to be wrong, ma'am--that the government would not collapse.
Securing Baghdad is vital. It's the national capital, of course. And 7 million Iraqis live there. It is the scene of a great deal of violence in Iraq. Should this government be dismissed as having failed to deal with it, Iraq will be in a…