U.S. Strike Killed Al Qaeda Bomb Maker. ABC News reported the good news today:
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1517986
ABC News has learned that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.
Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of three known al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit conference in the village of Damadola.
The United States had posted a $5 million reward for Mursi's capture. He is described by U.S. authorities as the man who ran al Qaeda's infamous Derunta training camp in Afghanistan, where he used dogs and other animals as subjects of experiments with poison and chemicals.
"This is extraordinarily important," said former FBI agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant, who was the senior agent on the FBI's al Qaeda squad. "He's the man who trained the shoe bomber, Richard Reid and Zacharias Mousssaoui, as well as hundreds of others."
Pakistani authorities tell ABC News they have confirmation that Mursi was among those on the guest list for the late-night meeting. The authorities say al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was also expected to attend but apparently changed his mind.
It's great to hear that an "extraordinarily important" member of al Qaeda has been taken out. It would have been even better if al-Zawahiri had been present at the "dinner" (the word which the media has used until now to describe the apparent terror conference), but we'll get him another time. Al Qaeda operatives cannot be allowed to feel safe anywhere. The media has been focusing on Pakistanis who opposed the American missile strike. No one likes to hear about innocent casualties in operations like these; there were reportedly women and children killed along with the terrorists. But this should put everyone living in a terrorist-friendly region on notice that they are in harm's way. The best thing they can do to protect themselves and their families is to avoid contact with known terrorists and, if possible, turn the terrorists in. I realize this is dangerous for them, but so is living too close to a terrorist's home or meeting place. I remember President Bush saying, in an address to the nation shortly after 9/11, that any country that "feeds" terrorists is our enemy in the war on terror. He may not have meant it literally, but this missile strike demonstrates what can happen to anyone who invites terrorists over for dinner.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1517986
ABC News has learned that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.
Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of three known al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit conference in the village of Damadola.
The United States had posted a $5 million reward for Mursi's capture. He is described by U.S. authorities as the man who ran al Qaeda's infamous Derunta training camp in Afghanistan, where he used dogs and other animals as subjects of experiments with poison and chemicals.
"This is extraordinarily important," said former FBI agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant, who was the senior agent on the FBI's al Qaeda squad. "He's the man who trained the shoe bomber, Richard Reid and Zacharias Mousssaoui, as well as hundreds of others."
Pakistani authorities tell ABC News they have confirmation that Mursi was among those on the guest list for the late-night meeting. The authorities say al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was also expected to attend but apparently changed his mind.
It's great to hear that an "extraordinarily important" member of al Qaeda has been taken out. It would have been even better if al-Zawahiri had been present at the "dinner" (the word which the media has used until now to describe the apparent terror conference), but we'll get him another time. Al Qaeda operatives cannot be allowed to feel safe anywhere. The media has been focusing on Pakistanis who opposed the American missile strike. No one likes to hear about innocent casualties in operations like these; there were reportedly women and children killed along with the terrorists. But this should put everyone living in a terrorist-friendly region on notice that they are in harm's way. The best thing they can do to protect themselves and their families is to avoid contact with known terrorists and, if possible, turn the terrorists in. I realize this is dangerous for them, but so is living too close to a terrorist's home or meeting place. I remember President Bush saying, in an address to the nation shortly after 9/11, that any country that "feeds" terrorists is our enemy in the war on terror. He may not have meant it literally, but this missile strike demonstrates what can happen to anyone who invites terrorists over for dinner.
posted by Liberty Bell Blues | 2:39 PM
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