(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL), Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, made the following comments today on the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, before convening a hearing on Iraq reconstruction:

Last night at 6:15 p.m., justice was delivered to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraq’s most wanted terrorist. Although many challenges remain in Iraq, his death seriously undermines the mission of al-Qaeda. As President Bush said this morning, Zarqawi’s death has the potential to ‘…turn the tide in Iraq.’ His death is a victory in the Global War on Terror. Today we remember the innocent lives taken by Zarqawi and his terrorist network.