In the past half an hour the news has broken that the US was able to successfully target al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri in Afghanistan over the weekend and kill him with an air strike.
The only significant Al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan is Ayman Zawahiri https://t.co/mHKJ9J4OKY
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) August 1, 2022
Ayman Zawahiri, one of the founders of Al-Qaeda, Bin Laden's deputy and the leader of the organization in recent years was the target of a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan, per source briefed on the issue
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) August 1, 2022
The Associated Press has the emerging details:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A CIA drone strike has killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, according to five people familiar with the matter.
Current and former officials began hearing Sunday afternoon that al-Zawahri had been killed in a drone strike, but the administration delayed releasing the information until his death could be confirmed, according to one person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
White House officials declined to confirm al-Zawahri was killed but noted in a statement that the United States conducted a “successful” counterterrorism operation against a significant al-Qaida target, adding that “there were no civilian casualties.”
President Joe Biden is expected to discuss further details of the operation in a 7:30 p.m. EDT address to the nation.
Biden planned to speak from the balcony off the White House Blue Room as he remains in isolation in the residence while he continues to test positive for COVID-19.
More at the link!
This is the most interesting take I’ve seen yet:
I am a long-standing critic of U.S. drone strikes.
Having said that, Ayman al Zawahiri is an anti-Christian, antisemitic, anti-Shia mass murderer. If he’s been killed, I won’t be shedding any tears for him & nor will most Muslims. So much blood on his hands, Muslim & non-Muslim.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 1, 2022
A profile of Zawahiri and informed speculation on who might succeed him as al Qaeda’s leader after the jump.