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2022-08-02 Terror Networks
US officials say ONLY Zawahiri was killed i.e., not Siraj Haqqani’s son, as is being reported
Follow up to yesterday evening’s breaking report:
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Dawn’s take from next door in Pakistan:
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 was killed in a US strike in Afghanistan over the weekend, American President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant. Just look at the competent way he dumped Afghanistan...
 said on Monday.

Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head, helped coordinate the Sept 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States carried out a dronezap in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday morning at 6:18am local time.

"Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more," Biden said in remarks from the White House. "We never back down."

US intelligence determined with "high confidence" that the man killed was Zawahiri, a senior administration official told news hounds. No other casualties occurred.

"Zawahiri continued to pose an active threat to US persons, interests and national security," the official said on a conference call. "His death deals a significant blow to al Qaeda and will degrade the group's ability to operate."

There were rumors of Zawahiri's death several times in recent years, and he was long reported to have been in poor health.

His death raises questions about whether Zawahiri received sanctuary from the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 following their takeover of Kabul in August 2021. The official said senior Taliban officials were aware of his presence in the city.

The drone attack is the first known US strike inside Afghanistan since US troops and diplomats left the country in August 2021.

In a statement, Taliban front man Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of "international principles."

The senior US official said finding Zawahiri was the result of persistent counterterrorism work. The United States identified this year that Zawahiri's wife, daughter and her children had relocated to a safe house in Kabul, then identified that Zawahiri was there as well, the official said.

"Once Zawahiri arrived at the location, we are not aware of him ever leaving the safe house," the official said. He was identified multiple times on the balcony, where he was ultimately struck. He continued to produce videos from the house and some may be released after his death, the official said.

In the last few weeks, Biden convened officials to scrutinise the intelligence. He was updated throughout May and June and was briefed on July 1 on a proposed operation by intelligence leaders. On July 25, he received an updated report and authorised the strike once an opportunity was available.

A loud explosion echoed through Kabul early Sunday morning.

"A house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor. There were no casualties as the house was empty," Abdul Nafi Takor, front man of the interior ministry, said earlier.

One Taliban source, requesting anonymity, said there had been reports of at least one drone flying over Kabul that morning.

With other senior al Qaeda members, Zawahiri is believed to have plotted the October 12, 2000, attack on the USS Cole naval vessel in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
 which killed 17 US sailors and injured more than 30 others, the Rewards for Justice website said.

He was indicted in the United States for his role in the August 7, 1998, bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people and maimed more than 5,000 others.

Both bin laden and Zawahiri eluded capture when US-led forces toppled Afghanistan’s Taliban government in late 2001 following the Sept 11 attacks on the United States.
Posted by Fred 2022-08-02 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ]  Top
 File under: al-Qaeda 

#1 Manual operated SB via line-of-sight. Larger munitions not appropriate for this application. Just my .02 cents worth:

The AeroVironment Switchblade is a miniature loitering munition, designed by AeroVironment and used by several branches of the United States military. Small enough to fit in a backpack, the Switchblade launches from a tube, flies to the target area, and crashes into its target while detonating its explosive warhead. Wikipedia
Unit cost: Model 300: US$6,000 (est.)
Manufacturer: AeroVironment
Used by: United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Armed Forces of Ukraine
Length: 49.5 cm (19.5 in) (Switchblade 300); 130 cm (51 in) (Switchblade 600)
Variants: Switchblade 300, Switchblade 600, Blackwing
Flight altitude: <150 m (500 ft)
Guidance system: Autonomous; manual
Posted by Besoeker 2022-08-02 00:06||   2022-08-02 00:06|| Front Page Top

#2 Sometimes collateral damage is warranted.
Posted by Skidmark 2022-08-02 06:02||   2022-08-02 06:02|| Front Page Top

#3 /\ Yes! But no Full Motion Video (FMV) no happy snaps. I'm going with in-country targeting team and small precision strike drones fired in series.
Posted by Besoeker 2022-08-02 06:16||   2022-08-02 06:16|| Front Page Top

#4 Biden Slammed Trump When He Took Out ISIS’ Al-Baghdadi, Iran’s Soleimani
Posted by Skidmark 2022-08-02 07:39||   2022-08-02 07:39|| Front Page Top

#5 Amusingly, the left wing (but I repeat myself) Grauniad is leading with "Zawahiri is claimed killed."

Bwahahahahahahahhahahahhaaaaaa
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-08-02 08:16||   2022-08-02 08:16|| Front Page Top

#6 I am sure Biden voted no again and Obama overrode the decision.

Seems possible they just hit a random house as the CIA actuaries had probably graphed the curves of a goat meat diet versus two pack of unfiltered cigarettes per day. If they don’t release a video of him with a current newspaper, the mission was a success.
Posted by Super Hose 2022-08-02 08:26||   2022-08-02 08:26|| Front Page Top

#7 If Zawahiri shows up alive in a video, it will be called Russian disinformation by all US media outlets including FauxNews.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-08-02 08:30||   2022-08-02 08:30|| Front Page Top

#8 I wonder if intelligence community left a few working cameras in place prior to surrendering for just such occasion.
Posted by Airandee 2022-08-02 09:41||   2022-08-02 09:41|| Front Page Top

#9 I won't believe he is dead until I see a photoshopped picture of buzzards picking his bones.
Posted by SteveS 2022-08-02 09:43||   2022-08-02 09:43|| Front Page Top

#10 it tough when you've cried wolf too much...
Posted by 746 2022-08-02 09:58||   2022-08-02 09:58|| Front Page Top

#11 Ah that's why they say: He has his work cut out for him.
Posted by European Conservative 2022-08-02 10:04||   2022-08-02 10:04|| Front Page Top

#12 AQ tipped off the CIA because he was too much of a drag on their fixed costs. They realized they could afford three community college professor jihadis at a lower combined salary. He was past his prime - needed an intern to run his Twitter account. Also he was kind of picky about his diet. Basically nobody liked him, but they’ll fake like he was a big hero for revenge purposes.
Posted by Super Hose 2022-08-02 10:16||   2022-08-02 10:16|| Front Page Top

#13 It's telling that the NYT left out the fact he was at Siraj Haqqani's house. Haqqani is a NYT contributor.
Posted by Deacon Blues 2022-08-02 11:26||   2022-08-02 11:26|| Front Page Top

#14 Zawahiri was probably a NYT contributor.
Posted by Chris 2022-08-02 12:25||   2022-08-02 12:25|| Front Page Top

#15 Drone strike with no collateral casualties? Seems a bit odd. But, a purported drone strike claim might add short term cover for an on-site team that used some form of kinetic energy to put him down.
Posted by NoMoreBS 2022-08-02 12:27||   2022-08-02 12:27|| Front Page Top

#16 White House confirms it does NOT have DNA confirmation of al-Zawahiri’s death and got it through 'other sources' as questions swirl over whether U.S. had any foreign help
Posted by Skidmark 2022-08-02 12:43||   2022-08-02 12:43|| Front Page Top

#17 "Other sources." Like when the MSM says "some say..."
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-08-02 12:49||   2022-08-02 12:49|| Front Page Top

#18 They checked his FaceBook page.
Posted by Super Hose 2022-08-02 13:17||   2022-08-02 13:17|| Front Page Top

#19 NBC: 2 hellfires, 1 casualty, no collateral

Sounds legit.

I'd lean towards Besoeker; bit too much of face people ass slapping for me to not be a bit suspicious of anything right now.
Posted by swksvolFF 2022-08-02 13:18||   2022-08-02 13:18|| Front Page Top

#20 In the swankiest part of Kabul.... how’s that compare with the seediest part of Paris (Texas...)?
Posted by Glenmore  2022-08-02 13:38||   2022-08-02 13:38|| Front Page Top

#21 Zawahiri was probably a NYT contributor

[giggles]
Posted by Dron66046 2022-08-02 13:40||   2022-08-02 13:40|| Front Page Top

#22 I wanna see the forehead, Mo-bump included
Posted by Frank G 2022-08-02 14:10||   2022-08-02 14:10|| Front Page Top

#23  how’s that compare with the seediest part of Paris (Texas...)?

Been there.
Didn't go back.
Posted by Skidmark 2022-08-02 14:31||   2022-08-02 14:31|| Front Page Top

#24 My son Tom said he may have driven past that address when he was stationed Afghanistan.
Posted by Rambler in Virginia  2022-08-02 14:44||   2022-08-02 14:44|| Front Page Top

#25 PICTURED: [maskless] Biden in the Situation Room on July 1 planning CIA drone strike that killed 9/11 mastermind al-Zawahiri 2 scoop sundae - with a boxed-up model of his Kabul safehouse flavor selection.
Posted by Skidmark 2022-08-02 14:44||   2022-08-02 14:44|| Front Page Top

#26 This is my shocked face!

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/blinken-taliban-grossly-violated-doha-agreement-by-sheltering-al-qaeda-leader/
Posted by NoMoreBS 2022-08-02 18:42||   2022-08-02 18:42|| Front Page Top

15:40 Airandee
14:57 Beavis
14:16 swksvolFF
14:03 Gerthudion Bucket9415
13:34 Skidmark
13:30 Skidmark
13:25 Skidmark
13:21 Skidmark
13:10 Skidmark
12:55 Skidmark
12:46 Grom the Affective
12:40 Anguper Hupomosing9418
12:35 Procopius2k
12:35 trailing wife
12:34 Anguper Hupomosing9418
12:33 Skidmark
12:27 trailing wife
12:26 Elmomoter Mussolini9149
12:24 Skidmark
12:22 Besoeker
12:11 Skidmark
12:08 Skidmark
12:07 trailing wife
12:06 Skidmark









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