Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi was the most dangerous man in Iraq. His butchery put him in the crosshairs of U.S. special forces. On June 7, they got him. Al-Zarqawi's death by air strike was a small but important victory against al-Qaeda. Both the U.S. and its enemies know this is a long war, but the successful hunt for al-Zarqawi should be instructive for the Islamic terrorist hierarchy: its leaders will receive swift retribution and pre-emptive penalties.
O'Connell is Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations