Al-Qaeda superstar bites it: CIA
Wanted al-Qaeda figure Abu Laith al-Libi was killed in Pakistan by a CIA air-strike, anonymous officials told CNN. Al-Libi was said to have been behind several attacks on US forces in Afghanistan, including the February 2007 bombing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney. He was on a "most wanted" list of 12 accused terrorists issued in October by the Combined Joint Task Force-82. The officials said al-Libi was killed by a missile fired from an airplane. "May God have mercy on Sheikh Abu Laith al-Libi and accept him with his brothers, with the martyrs," said a eulogy posted on a leading Islamist site, Al-Ekhlaas.
Al-Libi is former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which later merged with al-Qaeda. Officials described al-Libi as part of al Qaeda's inner circle, who helped fill the void created by the capture or death of more senior leaders after 9-11. CJTF-82 denied any knowledge of his death. (CNN, Jan. 31)
Is Al-Ekhlaas this one or this one?
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, whi remains at large with a $25 million US bounty on his head, spoke to fans on the Internet earlier this month. More than 2,500 questions were fielded via three Islamist websites, including:
"Do you meet Sheikh Osama Bin Laden and how is his health?"
"How do I join al-Qaeda?"
"Why hasn't there been another attack on America?"
"When will we see the men of Qaedat al-Jihad organization—may Allah preserve them and keep them in his care—doing Jihad in Palestine? ...because frankly, the situation here has become extremely bad for us."
See our last posts on Pakistan, Afghanistan and al-Qaeda.
NOTE: The New York Times makes clear that this strike was carried out without the consent of the Pakistani government.
Any relation?
From Associated Press of Pakistan, April 5: