SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE COMMENDABLE ACTIONS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN IRAQ.

SEC. 1230. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE COMMENDABLE ACTIONS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN IRAQ.(a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings:(1) On June 7, 2006, the United States Armed Forces carried out an air strike near the City of Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, that resulted in the death of Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh, better known as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist organization and the most wanted terrorist in Iraq.(2) Zarqawi, as the operational commander of al-Qaeda in Iraq, led a brutal campaign of suicide bombings, car bombings, assassinations, and abductions that caused the deaths of many members of the United States Armed Forces, civilian officials of the United States Government, thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, and innocent civilians of other nations.(3) Zarqawi publicly swore his allegiance to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda in 2004, and changed the name of his terrorist organization from the “Monotheism and Holy War Group” to “al-Qaeda in Iraq”.(4) In an audiotape broadcast in December 2004, Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda’s worldwide terrorist organization, called Zarqawi “the prince of al-Qaeda in Iraq”.(5) Three perpetrators confessed to being paid by Zarqawi to carry out the October 2002 assassination of the United States diplomat, Lawrence Foley, in Amman, Jordan.(6) The Monotheism and Holy War Group claimed responsibility for—(A) the August 2003 suicide attack that destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad and killed the United Nations envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, along with 21 other people; and(B) the suicide attack on the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf that occurred less than two weeks later, which killed at least 85 people, including the Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqr al-Hakim, and wounded dozens more.120 STAT. 2429(7) Zarqawi is believed to have personally beheaded American hostage Nicholas Berg in May 2004.(8) In May 2004, Zarqawi was implicated in a car bombing that killed Izzadine Salim, the rotating president of the Iraqi Governing Council.(9) In November 2005, al-Qaeda in Iraq attacked three hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing at least 67 innocent civilians.(10) Zarqawi and his terrorist organization were directly responsible for numerous other brutal terrorist attacks against the American and coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and recruits, and innocent Iraqi civilians.(11) Zarqawi sought to turn Iraq into a safe haven for al-Qaeda.(12) To achieve that end, Zarqawi stated his opposition to the democratically elected government of Iraq and worked to divide the Iraqi people, foment sectarian violence, and incite a civil war in Iraq.(13) The members of the United States Armed Forces, the intelligence community, and other Federal agencies, along with coalition partners and the Iraqi Security Forces, should be commended for their courage and extraordinary efforts to track down the most wanted terrorist in Iraq and to secure a free and prosperous future for the people of Iraq.(b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that Congress—(1) commends the United States Armed Forces, the intelligence community, and other Federal agencies, along with coalition partners, for the actions taken through June 7, 2006, that resulted in the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist organization and the most wanted terrorist in Iraq;(2) commends the United States Armed Forces, the intelligence community, and other agencies for the action referred to in paragraph (1) and their exemplary performance in striving to bring freedom, democracy, and security to the people of Iraq;(3) commends the coalition partners of the United States, the new government of Iraq, and members of the Iraqi Security Forces for their invaluable assistance in the operation referred to in paragraph (1) and their extraordinary efforts to secure a free and prosperous Iraq;(4) commends United States civilian and military leadership for their continuing efforts to eliminate the leadership of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and also commends the new government of Iraq, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, for its contribution to that achievement;(5) recognizes that the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a victory for American and coalition forces in the global war on terror and a blow to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization;(6) commends Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on the finalization of the new Iraqi cabinet;(7) urges the democratically elected government in Iraq to use this opportunity to defeat the terrorist enemy, to put an end to ethnic and sectarian violence, and to achieve a free, prosperous, and secure future for Iraq; and(8) affirms that the Congress will continue to support the United States Armed Forces, the democratically elected unity 120 STAT. 2430 government of Iraq, and the people of Iraq in their quest to secure a free, prosperous, and democratic Iraq.