By Staff
Last Thursday morning, Americans awoke to the news that one of the most wanted men in the world, the man Osama bin Laden dubbed the &#8220prince of al Qaeda,” Abu Musab al Zarqawi, had been killed by coalition forces.
Although he wasn't found cowering in a hole like Saddam Hussein, Zarqawi's death also signals an end to a brutal reign of a sadistic leader.
A violent man, Zarqawi participated in beheadings, supported suicide bombers, and encouraged sectarian violence. Intelligence reports agree that Zarqawi was the hooded man that beheaded American hostage Nicholas Berg.
He also claimed credit for the triple hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan, late last year that killed at least 60 people, including three Iraqi suicide bombers.
The men and women of our military are to be commended for their painstaking, diligent intelligence gathering. American military forces coordinated a precise and effective mission seriously thwarting the future effectiveness of al Qaeda.
Zarqawi's death doesn't guarantee that the job of our military will get any easier.
Many are even predicting an increase in violence during the immediate aftermath as al Qaeda struggles to prove its power.
His death does signal a weakening of al Qaeda's stronghold on Iraq and provides an opportunity for the people of Iraq to unite together and reject al Qaeda.
Three more appropriations bills passed
The House of Representatives passed three more appropriations bills last week: H.R. 5427, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007; H.R. 5522, the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007; and H.R. 849, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007.
H.R. 5427 in its present form provides $32 billion in funding for the operation of DHS and programs such as the port security grant program, first responder training, terrorism prevention grants, disaster preparedness based on the lessons of Hurricane Katrina, and the assistance to firefighter's grant program.
During the past several years, this latter grant program has provided millions of dollars in funding to dozens of fire and rescue departments in south Alabama. Additionally, the Homeland Security appropriations bill funds the protection of critical national infrastructure, enhanced transportation security, border protection, and maritime safety.
Among other things, H.R. 5427 will provide the following: