US Kills Golden Mosque Bomber

US forces claim they've killed local al-Qaeda leader Haitham al-Badri, the man widely considered responsible for the devastating repeat bombings of the Golden Mosque in Samarra. An Army spokesman says officials have ID'd al-Badri among the dead in a helicopter attack in Baghdad.

The 2006 and 2007 bombings of the major Shia shrine destroyed its ancient golden dome and minarets, and lead to a dramatic escalation in sectarian violence that had previously been cooling. Meanwhile, an attack at a gas station in eastern Baghdad killed 11 Iraqis lining up for fuel. (More mosque stories.)