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THE UNITED STATES HAS said that a drone strike in Pakistan has killed Al Qaeda’s number two leader.
Abu Yahya al-Libi is reported to have been charged with the day-to-day operations of the terrorist organisation in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
The anonymous official said that the drone strike took place in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region where its reported at least 14 people died in the strike.
The White House spokesperson Jay Carney confirmed the death of al-Libi but did not go into detail about the circumstances.
BBC News reports that there has been no confirmation of the militant’s death from sources in Pakistan.
The death of Abu Yahya al-Libi is a significant blow to the terror network, which has lost a string of top leaders at the hands of the American drone program.
The program has intensified significantly in the wake of the US Navy SEALs operation which killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, in May of last year. He was succeeded by the Egyptian born Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, says that no one left in Al Qaeda comes close to replacing the expertise the organisation has just lost.
Al-Libi, a hero in militant circles for his 2005 escape from an American military prison in Afghanistan, was elevated to the number two spot when al-Zawahri rose to replace the slain bin Laden.
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America, congratulations! Keep droning till Al Qaeda & Tiliban are wiped out from the face of earth…
You should change your name to toe-rag.
Hahaha
drones are the way forward, the poor talibans days are numbered. whats pissing pakistan off is their secret friends are no longer safe. drones are very accurate, its taken 50 or so years to perfect them, now with satellite guiding them they can no longer hide. technology is great!
@Johnny tell that to all the civillians they have killed….
Do you know what i reckon? They are and they are Muslims and that is what is different.
Joe don’t you have to occupy street or a square somewhere?
Bullseye I find this news satisfying but im sure others wont .. it’s got to be illegal no ?
Are the activities of al Qaida legal?
i find it tremendously satisfying too, i hate these rats, kill em all
Funny how these ‘terrorists’ are being blown up by robots from another country in their own back yard. Even funnier how you people support america in this endevour…then go singing rebel songs in the pub on paddy’s day…but thats different isnt it?
Well done USA. An awful pity the Russians won’t do the same in Syria.
why would they when alassad buys all his weapons off them ….
The russians wont want to lose the air base they have in syria.
Number 2, He was a Shit Leader anyway
You’d imagine them Al quaida fellas would start wearin Life Jackets, that might stop them getting Droned
What the article fails to mention is that, apart from the Taliban saying he was not killed, is that this individual was also a leading member of the Libyan NTC who overthrew Gaddafi. In fact, only recently the USA, Brits and French were throwing their military might behind the Libyan wing of Al Qaeda (The LIFG).
He also appears to have had no combat experience so claims he was second-in-command of Al Qaeda seem a bit far fetched.
Perhaps the “Umerica yeah, lets kill errbody and turrists” people on this thread could do with even doing a small amount of reading on the subject. And Declan, I find it a bit sick that you “get a thrill” when you hear of these cowardly attacks considering more often than not they kill completely innocent people.
*Should be Barry, not Declan
Just because he was supposedly a member of the NTC doesn’t absolve him of his Taliban membership
And what was he doing in Pakistan if he is a member of the NTC?
The point I am making is that the NTC basically is Al Qaeda. AQ, Tal, Al Shabaab, LIFG etc.. are all linked and form an alliance of groups. Sure we never here about Libya now, where Sharia Law jas been embraced because the USA got what it wanted.
It’s a bit rich of the US to support these terrorist groups in Libya, Syria and elsewhere yet oppose them in Afghanistan. Where’s the consistency?
It is also hypocritical of the US to complain about these terrorists killing civilians (which of course is wrong) yet on a daily basis they themselves do just that. Even carrying out drone attacks in countries they are not at war with!
Cowardly attacks on Al Quaida, Jesus mark, that’s Rich, worrying even, frightening to hear anyone talk themselves into a position of support for terrorists , but I suppose this is Ireland
No the NTC are not basically those Muslim terrorist groups. They are a legitimate rebel movement which overthrew an extremely evil man. But I do agree that America does support a lot of evil people when it’s in their interest.
I never said I got a thrill! Al qaida picked a fight with the USA and now they are getting one thrown back at them. Simple as that. I nor no one I know over here wants to see innocent people killed in these strikes. As for “cowardly” again look at the actions of al Qaida- they hijack, kidnap and murder people in a cowardly way then they go hide away somewhere.
US troops have gone after them every way they can.
How would you deal with them?
Ah shut up Mark. Innocent people me arse, anyone that was in his immediate vicinity was Al Qaeda
Where you there Jason? How the hell do you know other than what the US government says? And sure we all know they tell the truth. Remember all those weapons of mass destruction they found in Iraq? Oh wait…
For example, here we see a report of a drone strike killing the wife, mother and sister of a suspected militant when the US decided to blow up his house when he wasn’t there? Suppose they deserved that did they? http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&SubID=3683
Or I suppose the 15 civilians killed in this attack in Yemen deserved it did they? http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/05/15/suspected-drone-strikes-kill-12-civilians-in-yemen/
I couldn’t care less who the Americans kill belonging to militants, family or friends, they are ALL guilty by association. They know who these people are yet they CHOOSE to keep them hidden, they make their choices and have to live with the consequences. Wake up to the real world you fool.
So Jason.
Let’s hypothetically say your son becomes involved with a gang.
And a rival gang comes to shoot him and he’s not in your house, so they shoot you, your partner and one of your children. That’s okay is it? Because technically you are, as you said, ‘guilty by association’.
Your like a dog chasing its tail now! These people know that their, husbands, sons, friends are Al Qaeda, they know they’re wanted by the US, they know the US will do everything in their power to kill them and YET they still CHOOSE to hide them so they get what’s coming to them. It’s called life choices, you live by the sword you die by it. Now stop chasing your tail and find another bone to chew on, your an irritating mutt to say the least!
Cheers Declan as much of a thrill I get when I hear of these strikes another part of me worries about how it will breed more anti America wackos
I hope they wipe out the lot of them
another strike for team America world police!! fuuck yeah!
These drones rock
So all America has is someones word that he’s dead?? Well thats not much proof is it? He’s not garaunteed dead until a body is produced. Americans are doing more harm than good in them countries. Over 1 million people dead in the search for bin laden cannot be justified by anybody. Im not a supporter of any side but I do think America are the not the victims in this war no matter how much they claim to be.
Keep it going. Wipe those animals out.
No Declan they are not
Barry I do agree with you with regards the drone strike. I have no care for al Qaida.
Team America…world police, f**k yeah!
Apologies Mark getting a thrill does seem a little insensitive when u put it like that
Not a peep outa iraq lately. But the Brits/USA have killed a lot more civilians in iraq & afghanistan than were killed in 9/11. One has to wonder who the real “terrorists” are? 2 countries destroyed vs 2 towers ….
Iraq was destroyed by saddam Hussein. Prior to him it was one of the more liberal and progressive countries in the middle east.
Afghanistan was destroyed by the soviets in the 1980′s.
The USA has spent a ton of money in both countries rebuilding roads, bridges, schools, power plants, infrastructure etc
No 2 pfft,the full back would of been a better target.
USA 2 Al Quaeda 1
Well said Mark, proper comments based on proper fact and truth. All the rest congratulating the US on what they did, lapping up all their disgraceful propaganda on how they are so good and the rest of the world is so bad and that they and only they have the right to defy law and protect the world is frankly sickening! There are plenty of valid reasons why so many hate the US and why so many turn extreme. The US has more blood on it’s hands than most!
Some half-baked, strategically dim-witted, unorganised and hugely militarily inferior criminal from a 3rd world warzone was blown to pieces along with 14 other nobodies. Illegally in Pakistan. By a remote controlled weapon. This is so morally wrong.
This is disgusting to read, Irish citizens supporting the American war of terror? Al quieda are as mark said above, a loose term to describe a conglomeration of splinter groups, bin laden was never hidden in a cave in Afghanistan, in fact he rested in Pakistan on 9/11 while his family was flown in air force two from Washington to south America, the only flight in the air that day after the 2nd tower hit. Open your eyes folks it’s all just big business, you say the states built Iraq and its infrastructure? You mean the companies like Halliburton who funded bush and obamas campaign of carpet bombing and tomahawks now get to rebuild everything they destroyed for American prices, and American benefit, who really benefits from a new highway and new military airports? Or the biggest permanent military base in the world outside the states? Open your eyes people, the Taliban are not the real problem in Afghanistan or Pakistan. For one thing They fight the heroin production fields. Where afghani soil under American “protection” now produces 90% of the worlds supply, but before 2001?… They produced 0% let alone the damage to afghani people now Russia is being flooded by afghani heroin in what locals see as a guerilla opiate saturation of the masses raising them to the largest heroin consumers in the world. And you think America is in the middle east to spread peace and love? I suppose the british occupation of Ireland was peaceful too they just got bad press coverage?? Grow an opinion and research it people!!
I am from Pakistan and I have some understanding on US Foreign Policy, especially with drone strikes. It is bit different from the main stream media but here it goes;
The US President has the power to mark anyone anywhere in the world as a ‘terrorist’, no courts, no lawyers, no jury, just like that, so the President is sitting in his office looking at some random pictures of people with bread and turban and picks someone he doesn’t like, calls him world’s most wanted terrorist no.2. The President orders a drone strike – to kill. To capture him alive is no use, since he is a nobody, so why waste time and resources in capturing him, or go through the justice system even though the President and US forces has the precise knowledge of his whereabouts.
The man they want is killed in a drone strike, with some collateral damage, few women and children killed, but not to worry they were all terrorists too. The President appears on National TV telling the world how he ordered a drone strike that killed the America’s most wanted no.2 terrorist and got him just in time when he was about to plan an attack on American soil taking away our liberty and freedom. The media follows; people comment and everyone feel safe.
In an election year, I am confident that Mr. Barrack Obama will also find America’s most wanted enemy no.3, no.4 and no.5 as well. After all this is the time to work, get votes, defeat rivals, who care if few hundred people living in a poor countries with corrupt governments die. There is no one to speak for them, people in the west are brainwashed to think them as low-lives, terrorists, fundamentalists.
Just a thought; If you feel women and children being killed while they are sleeping in their homes is ok then there is something really wrong with this world. People who do wrong should be punished, but there is a system in place to capture them, go through the courts and then punish them accordingly. Being one of the most generous country to donate money to under-developed countries, I was expecting bit more from my fellow Irishmen…
Pakistan should refuse to accept the billions of dollars they receive from the US every year if they have such a problem with it. Yea I am sure if the Americans know where a terrorist is located they can trust their Pakistani counterparts to go out and arrest them.
I agree that no country’s leader should have the right to kill without trial anywhere in the world without exception even hitler would have been tried. Its a dangerous thing and undermines the rule of law an civilization itself, either we all obey the law or there is no law.
Drone Strike Kills No. 2 in Al Qaeda: Exclusive Video!
Al Qaeda’s deputy leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was killed in a drone strike in northern Pakistan, an American official confirmed on Tuesday, in the biggest single success in the controversial campaign’s eight-year history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbTOSJp97DM
Al Qaeda, the words mean nothing to Islamic people, always confused me as to why a determined and global islamic terrorist organisation would call themselves simply “Base”. It would be like the IRA calling themselves “Book” or somthing instead of IRA, I’ve never heard fundamentalists on al jezeera call themselves Al Qaeda or even the reporters refer to islamic terrorists as Al Qaeda, the name never appears on the station.Where does that name come from ?
“Bin Laden debated the name change because he was unhappy that the original name of his group — Al-Qaeda Al-Jihad, or The Base of Holy War — had been widely referred to only as Al-Qaeda, dropping the reference to religious war, the US official said.
“His concern was that the al-Jihad part was dropped and it was short-handed to just al-Qaeda,” the official said.
“From his perspective, that sort of separated the religious aspect of Al-Qaeda’s mission. And that allowed the West to portray it as an organization and not tied to a …religious movement,” he said.
“What he was being frustrated by was that most people were seeing the fight against Al-Qaeda for what it really is — it’s an effort stop a violent organization not a war on religion,” he said.
“That bothered him.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jLtBiOCfraeEntlv3FdoQVYO0UWA
Al Qaeda was named by the USA. No such organisation really exists. It’s mainly a loose coalition of Islamic armed groups such as Al Shabaab, Pakistani Tribal groups, LIFG, Chechen separatists etc..
You’re right when you say it means “base”. The naming came from a database kept of “friendly mujahideen” fighters whom the US had supplied with weapons during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. These allies quickly turned on the US, with the weapons the US supplied them with. Most of them were well known to the US and many were originally part of the databse of friendly forces.
Thanks for the info. But how does an “American Official” as you put it know that much detail about bin laden, even down to what he was thinking, this is a man they couldn’t even find for ten years, despite having an entire intelligence network looking for him. When did they know all this amazing detail about what he was thinking regarding his reason for changing the name, was it after 9/11 or before. If before 9/11 surely they would have known about his plans for the attack. If after, surley they would have had to know where he was to be able to gather that kind of intel.
It was from the material they found in his compound last year
translation
“And before closing: I make mention to you (plural) of a very important matter that came to me, which is changing the name of(Qa‟ida al-Jihad), because there are several necessary and attention-worthy reasons to change it, of them:
1. This name (Qa‟ida al-Jihad) was abridged by the people and only a few people remember this name; it has come to be known as (al-Qa‟ida) and this name reduces the feeling of Muslims that we belong to them, and allows the enemies to claim deceptively that they are not at war with Islam and Muslims, but they are at war with the organization of al-Qa‟ida, which is an outside entity from the teachings of Islam and this is what was raised repeatedly in the past as indicated by Obama, that our war is not on Islam or on the Muslim people but rather our war is on the al-Qa‟ida organization, so if the word al-Qa‟ida was derived from or had strong ties to the word Islam or Muslims; or if it had the name Islamic party, it would be difficult for Obama to say that.
It is clear from the past also that they (the enemies) have largely stopped using the phrase “the war on terror” in the context of not wanting to provoke Muslims, because they felt that saying the war on terror could appear to most people to be a war on Islam, especially after they unjustly spilled the blood of innocent Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. We ask God the Almighty to have mercy on our Islamic brothers.
For example, the name of our brothers in the Shabaab organization, Al-Arabiya (TN: news network) often identifies them with the Shabaab movement, only it avoids the name al-jihad or al-mujahidin.
2. The name of an entity carries its message and represents it. Al-Qa‟ida describes a military base with fighters without a reference to our broader mission to unify the nation.
Building on what is presented, it would be nice if you could discuss and come up with appropriate names that would not be easily shortened to a word that does not represent us. It would help if the name is a method of delivery of our message to reach the sons of the Umma/nation. These are some suggestions:
Taifat al-tawhid wal-jihad (TN: Monotheism and Jihad Group)
Taifat al-tawhid wal-difa‟ „an al-Islam (TN: Monotheism and
Defending Islam Group)
Jama‟at i‟adat al-khilafat al-rashida (TN: Restoration of
the Caliphate Group)
Jama‟at nasr al-Islam wal-aksa (TN: Support of Islam and
Al-Aqsa Group)
Jama‟at wihda al-Muslimin (TN: Muslim Unity Group)
Tanthim al-Jihadi li-tawhid al-Umma wa-inkathiha (TN: Jihad
Organization for Unification and Rescue of the Nation)
Tanthim al-Jihadi litahrir al-aksa wa-tawhid al-Umma (TN:
Jihad Organization to Liberate Al-Aqsa and Unify the
Nation)
Hizb tawhid al-Umma al-Islamiya (TN: Islamic Nation
Unification Party)
Jama‟at tahrir al-aksa (TN: Al-Aqsa Liberation Group)
Jama‟at inkath wanahdat al-Umma (TN: Rescue and
Revitalization of the Nation Group)”
http://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SOCOM-2012-0000009-Trans.pdf
RDX Thanks, a lot of detail hope ye cut and paste it to save all that typing. If a genuine copy of a letter found in bin ladens compound, thats if Bin Laden was actually found and killed. I suppose only the men that were there could answer that question. Although I heard most of the seals involved in the killing of bin laden died in a chopper crash shortly after though. I guess we will have to take your or rather the US MOD’s word for the al qaeda name explaination after all. Thanks again for the reply, very interesting.
“The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the ‘devil’ only in order to drive the ‘TV watcher’ to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US and the lobbyists for the US war on terrorism are only interested in making money.”
French officer Maj. Pierre-Henri Bunel, 2004
@Martin – it was reported that the guys who got killed in that chopper crash were from another team within the group.
@Mica – Bunel got thrown in jail and his career ruined because of the US. I suspect he holds a grudge.
down with that sort of thing!
Did the drone bore him to death? “what’s your favourite sound ted “?
Judging by the comments on here some of ye are worse animals than the real terrorists. the real terrorists are the US but most of ye are too pig ignorant to grasp it. Ye make me sick.
Kilt alpha, any thoughts on the 20 civilians killed by two suicide bombers in Afghanistan today or yesterday?
Every single article about America and Declans head keeps popping up defending the yanks down to the ground. Go try and learn a bit declan and stop beleiving everything you get told by the american government. They are the biggest warlords and criminals of all.
Declan Noonan, any thought for the hundreds of thousands killed by bush’s illegal war. There’s wrong on both sides of this argument but the media is only on one side (America’s) You know since 1968 The US is responsible for the deaths of over a million babies under the age of two. Not something your going to read in a western newspaper, Time to start thinking for yourself.
If I may play conspiracy theorist here. Anyone else find it more than a coincidence that there has been an increase in successful drone strikes and an improvement on intelligence fronts (plots foiled etc) since the “killing” of Bin Laden? I don’t think that guys dead. They have him alive and are squeezing every last bit of intel out of him I reckon. All this info has to have a source.
Shane, I think you need to get out more.
Thanks for the concern :/
They’re as bad as each other in my opinion
Look at the hate-filled puss of him. Good riddance!
Conor, your own head pops up as well.
Martin, what makes you say that I don’t think for myself? Back to you conor, what makes you think I believe everything the US govt tells me.
One thing I am not going to be is a apologist or make excuses for the likes of al Qaida, the Taliban, saddam Hussein, Assad of Syria and all the other dictators in the world. I don’t put forth conspiracy theories like some on the journal.
This idea that I am believing or being fed American propaganda is pure bullshit.
I get up in the morning and listen to the news on the radio or tv, I read newspapers, I go online, I read news magazines. Where else can a person get the news?
Do you have some access to perfect news that’s free of a countries bias?
Sorry that I don’t subscribe to the “al Qaida daily news”
I got my way of thinking from growing up in Ireland!
I am not falling for the anti American shite talk that’s out there.
Also I live in a very liberal , left of center state that was very much anti bush and pretty much against the war in Iraq.
So unless the US govt was somehow brainwashing me in my sleep I don’t know how I could have been falling for the propaganda you two talk about.
have your say