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Afghanistan
US takes out Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri in 'successful' Afghanistan counterterrorism operation
2022-08-01
48 Hour Rule.
[FOX] Two intelligence sources tell Fox News Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri was killed in the CIA drone strike.

The United States conducted a "successful" counterterrorism operation against a "significant" Al Qaeda target Ayman Al Zawahiri in Afghanistan over the weekend, a senior administration official told Fox News.

President Biden on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. E.T. is expected to address the nation from the White House on the operation.

"Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant Al Qaeda target in Afghanistan," the senior administration official told Fox News Monday. "The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties."

Courtesy of Airandee, from the Daily Mail:
CIA drone strike kills Al-Qaeda chief al-Zawahiri in Kabul after FBI put $25m bounty on his head: Taliban calls hit 'a violation of international principles' - as Biden prepares for 7:30 p.m. address
  • President Joe Biden will address the nation Monday night after al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend

  • Al-Zawahiri was Osama bin Laden's number two

  • Biden, who remains in isolation after a rebound case of covid, will make the address from the first floor balcony off the blue room of the White House

  • Remarks will take place at 7:30 pm ET

  • 'Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant Al Qaeda target in Afghanistan,' a senior official said

  • 'The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties,' the senior administration official noted

  • Al-Zawahiri was on the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list with a $25 million reward

  • Al-Zawahiri, 71, took over al Qaeda after bin Laden's death in 2011
Posted by:Mullah Richard

#28  /\ Or possibly....

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
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-08-01 23:58  

#27  Al Qaeda was kind of ineffective under his leadership. Might have been best to leave him in power rather than risk a bolder, more creative replacement.
Posted by: ruprecht   2022-08-01 23:55  

#26  He was standing on his balcony when he was hit with two hell fire missle. The kind of hell fire missiles that were also bladed.
Posted by: Phons Omert2327   2022-08-01 23:53  

#25  For whatever reason, killing evil is always good. Langley's come through once again. Cheers everybody 🥂.
Posted by: Dron66046   2022-08-01 23:52  

#24  Clearly he was behind in his protection payments to "the big guy".
Posted by: Woodrow   2022-08-01 22:40  

#23  Buh Bye, Knothead. This and Nancy going to Taiwan in defiance of Chairman Xi just before the midterms, hmmmmmm. Sure looks good for Joe. Coinkydink? Joe? Joe?
Posted by: Jatle Sinatra9653   2022-08-01 21:25  

#22  Squirrel
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom    2022-08-01 20:57  

#21  #20 Timing. Biden needs a win and "lo and behold..." Bet they knew where he was for a while and just pulled out his dance card when they needed the PR. Posted by: Mercutio

You are correct, apparently they got word on his location in the spring...and held until now...likely a political decision directed by our amateur National Security Advisor. I don't trust any of the info being released at this point, because at this point nothing is as it seems.

Ole Z was Egypt centric...and apparently lured back to AF by Mr. Haqqani? WTF? I don't understand, but I guess it worked out for us. And now the parlor game is to guess who in the Taliban leadership snitched on Sirajuddin Haqqani and his BFF houseguest Zawahiri? My guess is one of the Taliban Five (Fazl or Wasiq) that returned to Taliban gov service and didn't want to risk a round two tangle with the US...which means Sirajuddin is a marked man (and he should be).


Posted by: Tennessee   2022-08-01 20:45  

#20  Timing. Biden needs a win and "lo and behold..." Bet they knew where he was for a while and just pulled out his dance card when they needed the PR.
Posted by: Mercutio   2022-08-01 20:02  

#19  So Long, Farewell'
Auf Wiederson, Good bye

doot do do do dod do do do do.
doot do do do do do... as another child runs stage left.
Posted by: Capsu78   2022-08-01 19:53  

#18  Last time old plugs drone zapped a supposed terrorist, he got zero terrorist but he did get a 10 year old girl, so we'll see how this goes.

Man has he got a thing for young girls.
Posted by: DarthVader   2022-08-01 19:47  

#17  After watching the speech on ABC — President Biden looked buffed but unsteady on his feet, poor man — one of the commenters said that we have absolutely no presence on the ground, so the intel must have come from locals.

Bitch is going to get people killed with that.
Posted by: trailing wife   2022-08-01 19:45  

#16  Biden Slammed Trump When He Took Out ISIS’ Al-Baghdadi, Iran’s Soleimani
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-08-01 19:40  

#15  More thanks to Airandee for the Daily Mail article, and Besoeker who got the ball rolling in comments here.
Posted by: trailing wife   2022-08-01 19:14  

#14  Mullah Richard, thank you for working uo an article for us on this.

I did give it today’s headline, and lets see what President Biden has to say — but 48 Hour Rule, guys. Osama bin Laden was killed several times, too, if I recall correctly, as was the founder of ISIS.
Posted by: trailing wife   2022-08-01 19:04  

#13  Expect a Brandon victory lap with FMV (Full Motion Video) tomorrow evening around 1900. Who knows, maybe tonight! Obama's UBL Abbottabad redux.
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-08-01 19:01  

#12  So he became inconvenient to somebody?
Posted by: James   2022-08-01 19:00  

#11  Bidet will say he pulled out the way he did to reel Zawahiri in.

And, no, I'm not snarking.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-08-01 18:56  

#10  sound awfully convenient
Posted by: 746   2022-08-01 18:55  

#9  NYT 21 June 2021 - C.I.A. Scrambles for New Approach in Afghanistan

One focus has been Pakistan. The C.I.A. used a base there for years to launch drone strikes against militants in the country’s western mountains, but was kicked out of the facility in 2011, when U.S. relations with Pakistan unraveled.
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-08-01 18:54  

#8  I wonder if ISI sold him out.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-08-01 18:53  

#7  Drone flown out of Paklandia, would be my guess.
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-08-01 18:49  

#6  Finally Zawahiri has bumped his head on the ground for last time. I hope Shaitan welcomes into Jahannam
with highest honors.
Posted by: jpal   2022-08-01 18:47  

#5  Classic Onion (yeah, I know, but this is old)
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-08-01 18:47  

#4  The last straw for Biden was Zawahiri saying the USA was in a recession.
Posted by: Airandee   2022-08-01 18:44  

#3  ^ Yes, the same guy who told Bath House not to kill bin Laden.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-08-01 18:41  

#2  He may come to the podium in a sedan chair, but Brandon will be claiming credit in prime time tomorrow.
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-08-01 18:36  

#1  Going to be very interested to hear how this was confirmed.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-08-01 18:35  

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