Finally, it looks as though there has been some valuable on-the-ground intelligence.

The Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (real name Ahmed Fadhil Nazzal al-Khalayleh), the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq, is dead. As far as we know, he was the top guy in charge of kidnappings, beheadings and suicide bombings. Of course, our propaganda campaign may have exaggerated his importance to some degree, but however he got there, Zarqawi was considered the figurehead of the Sunni insurgency. He is said to be the leader of the merged insurgency/al-Qaeda network in Iraq, responsible for killing thousands of Shias and US forces. Jordanian courts have given him the death penalty more than once, and he is believed to have personally beheaded at least two Western hostages, among them American Nicholas Berg, who was slain on camera in late 2004.

The two 500-pound bombs dropped by warplanes on his safehouse seem to be a little bit of an overkill to me, but maybe not, since Iraqi police – first to arrive on the scene – were able to recover his body.

At this point, there are some conflicting reports about who else may have died. His key lieutenant and spiritual adviser Sheik Abdul Rahman al-Iraqi is being named as being among the dead, but seems also to have issued a statement today? An Australian site claims two women were killed in addition to the unnamed 6-7 aides at the safehouse. The story develops.

Al-Qaeda will, of course, try to use al-Zarqawi’s murder as a rallying point, but I don’t think there could really be such a huge following for the idea of “martyrdom” in this case. I hope that his death will contribute to improvements on the ground for the Iraqi people.