THIS MONTH, WE mark another milestone in the Global War on Terror with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a man who led one of the most deadly insurgent groups in Iraq. Known as the Iraqi "prince of al-Qaeda," al-Zarqawi was the mastermind behind countless car bombings and other attacks that took the lives of American forces and innocent Iraqis. These unspeakable acts of violence sought to terrorize the Iraqi people and undermine the will of American forces and the American people.

After a raid on al-Zarqawi's hideout, U.S. forces seized documents and computer records that have already led to over 400 additional raids throughout Iraq. We know the names and whereabouts of many other insurgents and it is only a matter of time before they, too, are located and stopped. We have seen many triumphs in Iraq, and we have seen many tragedies. The fact remains that we are making strides in Iraq, and with the help of coalition forces, a country once plagued by tyranny now looks forward to the continued development of a permanent, representative government under the newly ratified constitution.

Every day, more Iraqis are taking responsibility for the defense of their country; currently, they participate in 90% of security operations. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, the number of Iraqis defending their country is almost double the U.S. presence. We are making progress, and soon Iraq will be an independent and democratic society free from the restraints of terrorism and tyranny.