Official: Predator missile kills al-Qaida leader

[unhappycamper]

In this photo released by IntelCenter, an organization that monitors al-Qaida messaging, Libyan al-Qaida commander Abu Laith al-Libi speaks during an interview taped at undisclosed location by al-Qaida's media wing April 27. An American official, speaking anonymously, has confirmed reports that al-Libi was killed by a U.S. Predator missile at a safe house in Pakistan earlier this week.


Official: Predator missile kills al-Qaida leader
By Robert H. Reid - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 31, 2008 22:22:38 EST

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A missile from a U.S. Predator drone struck a suspected terrorist safe house in Pakistan and killed a top al-Qaida commander believed responsible for a brazen bomb attack during a visit last year by the U.S. vice president to Afghanistan, an American official said.

The strike that killed Abu Laith al-Libi was conducted Monday night or early Tuesday, said the official, who would neither confirm nor deny that the U.S. carried it out. The attack was against a facility in Pakistan’s north Waziristan region, the lawless tribal area bordering Afghanistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the strike publicly.

The killing of such a major al-Qaida figure is likely to embarrass President Pervez Musharraf, who has repeatedly said he would not sanction U.S. military action against al-Qaida members believed to be regrouping in the wild borderlands near Afghanistan.

An estimated 12 people were killed in the strike, including Arabs, Turkeman from central Asia and local Taliban members, according to an intelligence official in the area who spoke on condition of anonymity. He said the bodies of those killed were badly mangled by the force of the explosion and it was difficult to identify them.

The Predator is an unmanned aircraft developed by the U.S. CIA that can be armed with Hellfire anti-tank missiles. The CIA first used the remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft as a strike plane in November 2002 against six alleged al-Qaida members traveling in a vehicle in Yemen.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_alqaida_killed_080131/