As is known throughout the world, the number one enemy in Iraq is dead. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed, but what does that mean for the Iraqi insurgency?

Zarqawi's death is without a doubt a big blow to the effort of foreign fighters and jihadists in Iraq. Someone will take his place, but it will take a good deal of time for that person to gain the notoriety and viciousness of Zarqawi, who is infamous for beheading Nicholas Berg in a video that was put on the internet. Zarqawi was the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, referred to as "the Prince of Al Qaeda in Iraq" by Osama bin Laden. After announcing Zarqawi's demise, Iraq's new prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, said that the insurgents "should stop now." The prime minister also said that the fighters "should review their situation and resort to logic while there is still time."

Anyone who knows about the history of insurgencies knows that this is merely wishful thinking by the new prime minister. Bush administration officials, along with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain, have muted their celebratory reactions to the death of Zarqawi, and with good reason. Iraq is a complex war that has several levels, the most dangerous being the sectarian strife that has held the country captive. The other good news of the day, obviously overshadowed by the death of Zarqawi, was that al-Maliki named, and the Parliament approved, the last candidates for ministry posts in Iraq, which is a good development. Will the government, however, be able to reconcile important differences and lessen the incredible amount of violence that is a daily nightmare for Iraqi civilians? According to a New York Times Web site article by John F. Burns, the death of Zarqawi "brought immediate political results in the form of" the approval of the prime minister's nominees for the remaining posts. His government is a step in the right direction, considering that it is composed of Shiites, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds.

After the euphoria surrounding the killing of Zarqawi wears off, the Iraqi government will have to hunker down and come up with some political progress. The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, while a strong blow to the organization of foreign fighters in Iraq, will not end the insurgency that is being fought by mostly indigenous Sunnis. Also, the new government will have to get the Shiite and Kurdish militias under control as well, or else no one will trust the security forces that will be charged with protecting the people. One cannot forget that militants have dressed as police officers and commandos in order to carry out kidnappings and executions. On the other side, Shiite militias have been used to carry out acts of torture and other violence against Sunni Arabs.

Zarqawi's killing needs to be met with a brief sense of guarded optimism. There is still much more work to be done and many more problems to be solved.

SOURCE Burns, John F. "Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Is Killed In American Airstrike North of Baghdad." New York Times Web site, June 8, 2006.