Asking for patience with the war in Iraq, US President George W. Bush hailed the killing of al-Qaeda's leader there, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as a chance to "turn the tide" of the conflict.
Bush also welcomed the long-awaited completion of Iraq's new government and said he would discuss the future of the US military presence there with top US officials on Monday and with Iraq's leaders on Tuesday.
"Zarqawi's death is a severe blow to al-Qaeda. It's a victory in the global war on terror, and it is an opportunity for Iraq's new government to turn the tide of this struggle," Bush said Thursday in the White House Rose Garden.
The president praised US forces who, acting on intelligence tips from Iraqis, "delivered justice" to Zarqawi in the most dramatic US operation since Saddam Hussein's capture in December 2003.
But he warned that terrorists and insurgents behind violence that has claimed the lives of nearly 2,500 US troops and left many more wounded will "carry on without him" and as sectarian violence continues.
"We have tough days ahead of us in Iraq that will require the continued patience of the American people," he said.
Bush said he congratulated Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on finally completing his government by naming interior, security and defense ministers, and promised "full support" from the US.
Bush gave no explicit sign of what this might mean for the fate of 130,000 US troops in the country but said he would meet with his top security aides on Monday at Camp David to discuss "the way forward."
Bush said he would consult with top US diplomats and military commanders and hold a teleconference discussion on Tuesday bringing in Maliki and members of Iraq's first permanent cabinet since Saddam's ouster three years ago.
"Together, we will discuss how to best deploy America's resources in Iraq and achieve our shared goal of an Iraq that can govern itself, defend itself and sustain itself," said the US leader.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said there would be no "snap change" in troop levels, saying: "The death of Zarqawi does not change overnight the situation."
"The ultimate objective is for the Iraqis to take full responsibility and for the Americans to come home, but there is certainly no timetable and that's not going to be part of the discussion," he said.
Bush on Thursday also discussed the killing of Zarqawi by telephone with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones said.
Bush and Abdullah "discussed the removal of al-Zarqawi and noted the significance of it," while Olmert "congratulated the president ... noting that he understands such achievements are ... difficult and complex," Jones said.
Bush has seen his standing in public opinion polls plummet to the lowest level for a US president in a generation, with three in five Americans believing the March 2003 invasion to topple Saddam was a mistake amid mounting calls for a quick US withdrawal.
With the war set to shape key congressional elections in November, the White House has sought to emphasize good news out of Iraq and complain that the US media has improperly focused on the insurgents' spectacular acts of violence.
If recent history is an indication, any bump Bush gets in the polls from Zarqawi's demise might be temporary.
His popularity rose, but only marginally, in the days after Saddam's capture on Dec. 13, 2003.
But his ratings tumbled below 50 percent barely two months later, after confirmation that the weapons of mass destruction at the core of his public case for war had not been found.
Bush first learned at approximately 4:35pm on Wednesday that Zarqawi might have been killed, telling aides "that would be a good thing" but not the end of fighting in Iraq, according to White House spokesman Tony Snow.
"This certainly has to be dispiriting to members of the opposition in Iraq. They now know that the most protected man, at least in terms of terror networks, was not safe," said Snow.
General Peter Pace, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, later told Bush national security adviser Stephen Hadley at 9:10pm on Wednesday that Zarqawi's body had been identified, said the spokesman.
DNA identification will probably not be available for another 24 hours, said Snow.
"General Pace called Hadley at 9:10pm and informed him that the fingerprints and other body markings, and it may have been tattoos, I know that scars were also part of it, confirmed it was Zarqawi," Snow said.
Bush got confirmation from Hadley at 9:20pm.
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