No celebration after killing of terrorist

The president has been somber after the death of the al-Qaida leader.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- There were no "Mission Accomplished" banners or joyous celebrations at the White House. Feelings of satisfaction about killing Iraq's most wanted terrorist were tempered by the certainty of more death and bad days in a war increasingly unpopular at home.
The elimination of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a major victory for President Bush. Americans have not seen the removal of such an important figure since former President Saddam Hussein was found hiding in an underground bunker in December 2003.
By dropping bombs on al-Zarqawi's hideout, the United States demonstrated to friends and enemies alike that even terrorism's most feared leaders can be found and eliminated. Bush called it a severe blow to al-Qaida.
Poll numbers
Like the capture of Saddam, al-Zarqawi's death is likely to give the president a boost in the opinion polls, at least temporarily. He dearly needs it, with approval of his handling of Iraq dipping to 33 percent, a new low, and his overall job approval at 35 percent in a new AP-Ipsos poll.
The poll, taken Monday through Wednesday, before the al-Zarqawi death, found that 59 percent of adults said the United States made a mistake in going to war in Iraq -- the highest level yet in AP-Ipsos polling. It also found that more than half -- 54 percent -- said it's unlikely that a stable, democratic government will be established in Iraq, also a new high.
Americans' weariness with the war -- where more than 2,480 members of the U.S. military have died -- has been the driving force behind Bush's poll plunge and a cause of Republican anxiety about holding control of Congress in the November elections. But other factors, from soaring energy prices to the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina last year, have undermined Bush's standing, as well. If Republican strategists had their way, they might have wished for al-Zarqawi to be killed closer to the election.
More than three years of bloodshed in Iraq have made Bush more somber and cautious than he was when he stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier under a "Mission Accomplished" banner to declare an end to major combat.
On that day, May 1, 2003, Bush struggled with emotion, his voice breaking, as he talked about the liberation of Iraq and said that "the United States and our allies have prevailed."
His reaction was different, much more subdued, when he was told late Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office that the U.S. military believed it had killed al-Zarqawi in a bombing strike. "That would be a good thing," Bush was quoted as saying. There were no congratulatory laughs or smiles -- more a sense of relief, the White House spokesman said.
"He's not going to run around the room giving high fives," Tony Snow said. "Instead it's, 'What do we know, who's there, tell me about the operation.' And the follow-on conversation was more of that tone than jubilation."
Looking ahead, Bush summoned national security advisers and others to Camp David for two days of talks about Iraq beginning Monday.
Bush got confirmation at 9:20 Wednesday night of al-Zarqawi's death based on fingerprints, tattoos and scars.
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