Dubai: Abu Al Muntasir Billah, a close friend and comrade of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, said that the killing of Al Zarqawi was expected.
Abu Al Muntasir said that he parted ways with Al Zarqawi after he was released from a Jordanian prison in 1999. The difference was mainly over the legitimacy of suicide operations in Palestine as Al Zarqawi considered them suicide acts, which are prohibited in Islam.
Following his release and the US occupation of Iraq, Al Zarqawi underwent a sea change in attitude and suicide attacks became his strategy in Iraq. Abu Al Muntasir believes that Al Zarqawi's death would have direct impact on the world, Iraq and Jordan.
Jordan will be a great beneficiary while Iraq will be greatly relieved.
Nassif Abdullah, Al Zarqawi's cellmate, said that Al Zarqawi was a devoted worshipper, and his death was a great loss.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Abu Qudamah, husband of Al Zarqawi's sister, said that Al Zarqawi became a martyr. "If he were in an European country, its president would kiss his feet and he was worth a million men."
The interview was interrupted by Jordanian security forces who arrested Abu Qudamah and Al Jazeera's correspondent Yasser Abu Helalah with other staff members and confiscated their mobile phones. They were released later.
Ebrahim Al Shammari, spokesman of the Islamic Army in Iraq, said there is no coordination between his group and Al Zarqawi's group.
Sa'ad Jawad Qandeel, a leader of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said: "It is a great victory for Iraq ... and justice."
