U.S. Raids Follow Zarqawi’s Death

American forces carried out almost 40 raids in the wake of the airstrike death of the terrorist leader. But as Truthdig contributor Nir Rosen writes, the absence of Zarqawi is likely to lead to greater sectarian bloodshed in Iraq. (Also: Zarqawi survived the attack and tried to escape.)

AP:

Flush with intelligence, the U.S. military moved quickly Friday to take advantage of the power vacuum left by the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, carrying out nearly 40 raids in an effort to stop his terror network from regrouping.

A U.S. military search of the destroyed safehouse where the al-Qaida in Iraq leader was killed Wednesday yielded documents and information storage devices that are being assessed for potential use against his followers, a military officer said.

An M-16 rifle, grenades and AK-47 rifles also were found, according to the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because results from the search have not been announced. The U.S.-made M-16 was fitted with special optics.

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