Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) from a press release. Kerry’s saw the al-Zarqawi’s  killing as opening the door to the withdrawal of U.S. forces: 
“With the  end of al-Zarqawi and the confirmation of the final vital cabinet ministries in  Iraq’s new government, it’s another sign that it’s time for Iraqis to stand up  for Iraq, bring the factions together, end the insurgency, and run their own  country. Our troops have done their job in Iraq, and they’ve done it valiantly.  It’s time to work with the new Iraqi government to bring our combat troops home  by the end of this year.”  - Chicago Tribune
 
