Al-Qaeda's Leader In Pakistan Believed Dead, Says U.S. Official

Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership.

Operations chief Usama al-Kini was thought responsible for attacks, including the bombing of a Marriott hotel in Islamabad that killed 55 people in September, and an unsuccessful attempt to kill former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was later assassinated in a separate attack, the official said.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[oakley9]

One word.....photoshop.

[Hirnlego]

Um, those pics are terrible.

[ajax2]

I believe he was third in command. As Rove scolded GW before the cameras, stay on message, third in command always.

[Opt1musPr1me]

OK! Thanks Huffpost for posting these disturbing photos. I won't be able to sleep tonight.

[luxor7]

Are they casting a new planet of the apes movie?????

[wadenelson1]

Ahmad: "Well the US is claiming they killed our number one again."

Mansoor: "Did they or didn't they?"

Ahmad: "Well, since we're loosely organized, it's hard to know"

Mansoor: "The CIA has offered us guns if we tell them"

Ahmad: "Tell them what?"

Mansoor" If Usama Kini was #2 or #1 or whatever"

Ahmad: "Really? They want to know that bad? What will you tell them"

Mansor: "For free guns and bullets, of course we will give them an answer to print in the US press"

Ahmad: "but how?"

Mansoor: "Simple, use any cell phone and refer to him as #1, then they maybe they will declare victory and go home"

Ahmad: "Does anyone even remember what we are fighting about?"

[JZ735]

Been through this so many times...the truth lies somewhere far afield from what any US or Pakistani intelligence people claim.

[MagisterLudi]

How would YOU know?
I seem to ask people this question who claim to state without any embarassment what world's intelligences are doing.
And no one is willing to concede that their opinions are just that-- and nothing but.
Here' s a corrected version of your post:.
"I am not really sure what's going on. But I don't like to hear that Jihadists militants may have been hurt. Actually, I support the Jihadist movement because I feel more in empathy with them than with other Americans. To me anyone who opposes Bush deserves kudos. "

[Hirnlego]

Part of warfare is the creation of myths that people buy into. The rescue of Jessica Lynch, the WMD claim, babies thrown out of incubator, mushroom cloud, 45 minutes, no one saw the economy, the saddam statue, we're fighting mostly foreigners in Iraq, last throes, the importance of zarqawi (sp?), greeted as liberators, oilmoney will pay the wars, this will quickly be over etc etc... constantly being lied to.

[msjimmied]

It's a veritable UN of Arab/Islamic coalition that have taken up residence in Pakistan..­..However, the government cannot verify if Qasab the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist is from Pakistan! Of course they can't, they are well aware that their country has become the staging area. Plus they get all the money they need from the Americans. What a deal!

[hortonhearsawho2]

They look like nice respectable young men...

[Deparis]

Lol....

[Hirnlego]

infact, they don't look real at all.

[demandfortruth]

i don't believe it. propaganda war: bush kills civilians and then says it was al-qaeda...

[luxor7]

Bush did mot kill anybody. Grow up

[ObjectiveRealist]

quote:
Bush administration officials have said this week that al Qaeda's central leadership has lost significant effectiveness, although their intentions remain threatening and regional affiliates remain potent threats.
/quote

It's bizarre and has been since a few weeks after 9-11 when Bush administration officials announced they're "certain" al Qaeda did it, just how much of what would seem to be insider information they have about al Qaeda. How might CIA and military intelligence know immediately "that al Qaeda's central leadership has lost significant effectiveness" but not know enough about the rest of the organization to capture or kill them, at the drop of a hat.

[Hastings]

Thumbs up to to the drone team. GOOD WORK!

[mexamerican]

a couple of really handsome fellows there. jeebus, i'm going to need to take a sleeping pill to avoid nightmares.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Looks like Primo, que no ?.....,just kidding ese....

[KataVideo]

Man, I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw these photos and immediately thought, "fake!"
They look like real good police composite pictures.. we'll use these eyes, this nose, and that mouth...
Bunk.

[MagisterLudi]

You do realize of course, that these sub-humans rarely pose for portraits at the K-Mart.

[hortonhearsawho2]

maybe walmart, black friday ?

[publicmenace]

I'm sure you're an expert in such matters.

[XCITIZEN]

First thought - wow - those guys look creepy - second thought - they look like totally fake images. Oh well, I guess we already know we're being scammed and conned and blasted with propaganda. IS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION OVER YET?

[oakley9]

I also thought photoshop, as soon as I saw the pics. Hard to believe anything we see these days, especially after being !ied to so much.

[bascombe]

they look like good digital mockups.

[Paul Peete - Huffpost Blogger]

Bush slaying the Boogey men on his way out of the door, trying to paper over the fact that he let OBL slip away to go after Dad's unfinished business.

[MagisterLudi]

These are is pretty categorical statements. Considering that you ( and most of us) have zero access to real intel. You mean it is not possible that there were some AQ operators taken out?
How would YOU know, one way or another?
People with try to bring some sense of objectivity preface such statements with "In my opinion" or "it is possible" or " We don't really know, but its seems that..."

[MajorKong]

How convenient. Bush can do no wrong because "we don't have access to real intel".

[Hastings]

Works for me.

[Hastings]

The above comment was in reply to Mr. Peete's comment. I guess that we can count Mr. Peete in as one of those who believes that 9/11 was just an unfortunate accident and that we would be safer with Saddam in power. Let's all hope that Obama will also go after the boogey men.

[wadenelson1]

You're suggesting we're safer today than we were before attacking Iraq, despite the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia?

Get a grip. All we've done is help Al-Quaida recruit with our unprovoked war of aggression.

[meanguy]

don't worry...i'm sure 'hopeychangey' will give meet with OBL without preconditions and give him a stern talking-to about his audacity