AP sources: US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri

By artappraiser on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 6:18pm |

By MATTHEW LEE, NOMAAN MERCHANT and MIKE BALSAMO @ APNews.com, 7 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — 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.

An American ground team was present in Afghanistan to support the strike and has since pulled out, a senior intelligence official said [....]

URL:

https://apnews.com/article/ayman-al-zawahri-al-qaida-terrorism-biden-36e5f10256c9bc9972b252849eda91f2

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Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 6:25pm

so here's the Trump narrative on the story already baked, natch

Digging up a dead man and shooting him again does not constitute a 'successful' counterterrorism operation
— Jonathan Ng (@Jng7172Ng) August 1, 2022

(and who's willing to bet Aaron Mate et.al. will be *confirming* a version of the same shortly? some more of that eggscellent Russia-sponsored journalism...)

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 7:02pm

here's Biden's full announcement via C-SPAN

President Biden: "My fellow Americans, on Saturday, at my direction, the United States successfully conducted an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed the amir of Al Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri...Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more." pic.twitter.com/iNMXTsRGBX
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 1, 2022

And this coverage is one of many that are a reminder that Americans were not the only victims of 9/11

US President Joe Biden says he hopes the death of al-Qaeda terrorist group leader Ayman al-Zawahiri will bring “one more measure of closure” to the families of victims of 9/11.https://t.co/vTg2xIJnrk
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) August 2, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 8:56pm

Ukrainian journalist impressed even as many Americans are not:

Oh wow. https://t.co/2PRNHYV77h
— Anastasiia Lapatina (@lapatina_) August 1, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 9:01pm

and another one!

Wooooooow!
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been liquidated as part of a U.S. special operation?
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) August 1, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 10:16pm

A couple of years after Osama bin Laden was killed, ISIS rose from the ashes. I heard the same day as this news that Iraq was having trouble keeping it together. Will history repeat?

https://youtu.be/EQfEonTfOrw

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 3:51am

Trump helped ISIS revive, let them escape into the desert, after an Obama-led 5-nation coalition spent a painstaking year weeding them out of Mosul(?) street by street.

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 1:34am

ISIS seemed to be going on for a bit before Trump.

Also, I watched the video and saw Zawahiri was actually in Kabul! Afghanistan government not too happy. Does this mean a return to Afghanistan by the United States?

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 3:16am

Yes, ISIS rose under Obama and Obama largely took care of them before transfer of power, but Trump was more int deals with Putin and Erdogan (including screwing the Kurds).

So which part of history will repeat, or is it just a vague similarity?

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:43am

I don't know. It's just a question.

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:47am

I’m confused because Trump said he already wiped out Al-Qaeda.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 1, 2022

Yeah, but gas prices … pic.twitter.com/bqj9kdNRTv
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 1, 2022

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 7:04am

Fox News anchor Bret Baier compares the death of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to the death of Osama bin Laden:

“That will be President Biden’s bin Laden moment … This is a huge, huge win for the U.S.” pic.twitter.com/fYRymILBcG
— The Recount (@therecount) August 1, 2022

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:20am

Nobody really cares. Putin going will be a huge moment. Al Qaeda is a historical footnote, a 15 year distraction.

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:45am

Putin going could lead in to something like Al Qaeda. Demography isn't with what we typically associate with Russia. That might have to do with the invasion of Ukraine: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220524-population-decline-in-russia...

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:50am

Old news - 1998 Factfulness talked about Russia being down to 80mill by 2100. 2022 was likely the end of the window when Putin had enough non-retirees to invade Ukraine, but still not enough it appears. Doesn't matter - Putin blew it. There's no way Donbas is a useful territory for Russia after this war, he won't have the UA population behind him, the best he can hope for is a land bridge to Crimea, but that's doubtful, and by 2030 it'll just be "Pootie's brain fart", whether Russia melts down or somehow survives. Russia's Eastern territories will not like being used as cannon fodder for European adventurism.

And while we talk about 140m Russians, only 100mill are in Europe.

The late 80s boomlet has gone bust.

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 7:21am

Not saying it means anything but a historically significant neighbor has been growing in population: https://tradingeconomics.com/mongolia/population#:~:text=In%20the%20long....

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 7:37am

Half Russia's population in Volga & Central districts.

Good rundown on RU demographics

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/russia-population

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 9:33am

Also, didn't Al Qaeda come about due to the invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR? Doesn't seem unrelated at all.

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-russia-ukraine-putin-tajikistan-d...

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 10:58am

Since Biden will be announcing the Al-Zawahiri killing tonight it’s a good time to repost this gem pic.twitter.com/F7i5hLQKZM
— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) August 1, 2022

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 11:28am

contrary what many are saying...

“There is no escaping the fact that Al Qaeda continues to fester under the Taliban. This means that the U.S.-Taliban engagement of the past several years has failed,” writes @asfandyarmir. https://t.co/sRLpJwJhrl
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) August 2, 2022

Asfandyar Mir (@asfandyarmir) is a senior expert at the United States Institute of Peace. His research is on the international relations of South Asia, U.S. counterterrorism policy and political violence, with a regional focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

by artappraiser on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 5:59pm

We have to go back!

by Orion on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:36pm

#IDF: All top #PIJ security officials in Gaza are assasinated. - if this is the case, it could be an exit strategy for #Israel. But also for the Islamic Jihad?
— Richard C. Schneider (@rc_schneider) August 6, 2022

#Palestine/#Israel : Armed wings of various factions (#DFLP, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, #Hamas and Islamic Jihad/#PIJ) held a press conference in West Bank, #Jenin.

Fighters appear to be armed with two M4-pattern carbines (M4geries) and two M16A2-pattern rifle & carbine. pic.twitter.com/DJufhx6YoP
— War Noir (@war_noir) August 6, 2022

#IDF arrested another senior member of #PIJ, Nasr Amour, at his house next to #Jenin
— Richard C. Schneider (@rc_schneider) August 6, 2022

Israel-Gaza: Death toll rises as Israel targets militants https://t.co/CuYLdGzpIJ #Palestine #PalestinianLivesMatter #PalestinianIslamicJihad #PIJ #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #Israel #IsraeliApartheid
— Gavin in Istanbul (@HappinessPatrol) August 6, 2022

Right now #Hamas is doing the right thing just hiding and not getting involved has they watch their brothers in the #PIJ just getting beat to death whether it's smart or being chicken. Without the #PIJ a rival is taken out off the way. #Hamas can fill more of the vacuum in #Gaza
— The Naked Ape (@Brent0083392161) August 6, 2022

etc. - continue with your favorite narrative sources; I'm just pointing it out as it may be related...

by artappraiser on Sat, 08/06/2022 - 7:19pm

from the A.P. in Gaza City:

An Israeli airstrike killed a senior commander in the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. That's according to the militant group which has seen its second leader to be slain amid an escalating cross-border conflict. https://t.co/dgEZd9zxaj
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 7, 2022

by artappraiser on Sun, 08/07/2022 - 2:28am

Palestinian official Said Alaadin, who led security coordination among Palestinian factors in the Ain el-Heliweh refugee camp in Lebanon, was shot in the head by unknown assiliants
https://t.co/zklkvN2576
— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) August 9, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/08/2022 - 9:34pm

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