Pakistan al-Qaeda chief 'killed'!

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Pakistan al-Qaeda chief 'killed'​

Aftermath of the blast at the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, on 20 September 2008
Al-Kini was involved in the Islamabad Marriott attack, officials say

Al-Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and another top aide are believed to have been killed, US sources say.

Usama al-Kini and his lieutenant, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, were both killed in recent days, US counter-terrorism officials said.

Al-Kini was believed to be behind last year's deadly attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, they said.

Fifty-five people were killed when a truck packed with explosives rammed the hotel in September 2008.

Both al-Qaeda suspects died in South Waziristan, on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, an unidentified US counter-terrorism official told Reuters news agency.

"These deaths are a significant near-term degradation of al-Qaeda's leadership," he added.

He gave no details of how the men died. But the Washington Post, also citing intelligence sources, said they were killed in a missile strike by a CIA drone aircraft on a building on 1 January.

"They died preparing new acts of terror," the US daily quoted a counter-terrorism official as saying.

The men - both born in Kenya - were on the FBI's most-wanted list over the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Al-Kini was also thought to have been behind an unsuccessful attempt on the life of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was later killed in a separate attack, US officials said.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan al-Qaeda chief 'killed'

 

[haviZsultan]

If this is true I would find it that for the first time america has managed to fdo something useful and kill someone who had to be killed and was wanted by us for his mass murder of pakistanis other than sending terrorists like abdullah mehsud back to pakistan to kill pakistanis and kidnap chinese engineers.

This will raise goodwill if it is true and if Marriot was not done by CIA instead ofcourse.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

If true, HELL YEAH!!

I may have to eat my words in another thread, of US assets being sort of 'useless' outside of Bajaur.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

If this is true I would find it that for the first time america has managed to fdo something useful and kill someone who had to be killed and was wanted by us. This will raise goodwill if it is true and if Marriot was not done by CIA instead

Agreed - but I think that well publicized strikes like these on some more individuals who have caused great harm to Pakistan may actually sway public opinion on the issue, though I would still prefer Pakistan carry out these attacks.

Given the secrecy around the systems and processes being utilized here, I doubt Pakistan has any chance of getting its hand on the technology.

Bob Wooward described the targeting program developed in Iraq, responsible for so many high profile AQ killings, as similar to the Manhattan Project in its influence and scope, and assuming the improvements seen in Iraq are being exported to the Afghan/FATA theater, continued efficiency in getting high profile individuals like these, wanted by both the US and Pakistan, might just be worth the price of tacit acceptance of these strikes.

 

[Awesome]

America needs to do more especially in regards to Baitullah Mehsud. Getting this operations chief alive would've been more helpful in narrowing down the masters of the TTP.

Also theres no solid confirmation that this has happened.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I am interested in how this will be covered in the electronic Pak media.

Could those with access post about the general theme and tone of the coverage?

 

[ajpirzada]

im still doubtful. they always kill someone big and later that person turns out to be alive. there was a news that they killed that UK millitant. later his family said he is alive. to me it only seems that US says all this to justify their drone attacks and to project pakistan a militant hub.

 

[RescueRanger]

It is coming through on all the normal press wires! If ture its times to dish out the methai and thank you USA!!

 

[Jihad]

Great news, see, if we'd only have more of these newsflash of U.S. strikes killing key al-Qaeda members, I'd be pleased.
But instead of seeing Pakistani civilians and soldiers die without much progress being made creates bad blood amongst the Pakistani people, which isn't good for the GoP because it has to co-operate with the Americans.
Anyhow, this is a good blow to those who think they're fightning in the name of Islam, but instead are using Islam as coverup to create fear among people and carry out cowardly attacks against innocent people.
I don't think this will stop al-Qaeda, same happened when they caught Saddam, even if they get Binladen, the network is huge and widespread, and Pakistani forces, with adequate support and equipment from the Americans, should continue and eliminate its presence and influence in every corner of our beloved nation.
This is a step in the good direction, we should be glad.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Well, I bet that 85% of those killed in US drone strikes deserved it, and that their "elimination" was for the good of free Pakistan (as well as the USA). Maybe the ISI understands that the drone strikes are the most "cost effective" way of dealing with some "problems". I mean, the US spends ~ $3M per strike and no "good guys" (yours or ours) get killed. The alternative would be that maybe a dozen Pakistani soldiers got killed to produce an equivalent result. You guys here at the PDF should re-assess your opposition to US drone strikes. MAYBE the "smart" people in the ISI understand that they are useful.

 

[Kasrkin]

Some of them might be useful, but I still think the majority of us here in defence.pk would prefer if we're given the capacity to eliminate these bad guys ourselves. Would save everyone a lot of political inconvenience, and it would be a sign of the much needed trust and respect on behalf of the Americans in relation of Pakistan's sovereignty.