BREAKING: Zarqawi reportedly dead

I was just about to go to sleep, after a really long day of travel, when I did one last check of CNN. They're carrying live a press conference led by Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, who is announcing that Zarqawi has been killed.

Details are sketchy, and the U.S. is apparently waiting to comment until after Maliki's announcement. Here's the latest on CNN, which I'm sure will update as the night progresses.

I'm going to stay up for just a few more minutes; if there's anything I can provide insight on, I'll try to do so in the comments.

My first reaction, though, is this: GREAT. Whatever you think about the war in Iraq, Zarqawi was a significant threat to Coalition troops and Iraqi military forces and civilians, and his death is a victory for progress and security.

UPDATE: He was apparently killed in an airstrike undertaken by U.S. Special Operations Forces just north of Baghdad, near Baquba. While the so-called al Qa'ida in Iraq was a relatively small group, it's an important success for both tactical and psychological reasons due to the disproportionate impact they had through mass casualty operations. I gotsta go to sleep, but hopefully more info tomorrow . . .