Saif al-Adel, Al Qaeda Leader? Sources Say Egyptian Is New Osama Bin Laden

DUBAI (Reuters) – Al Qaeda has appointed an Egyptian militant as temporary leader and named a new head of operations following the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. commandos, al Jazeera reported on Wednesday, citing its own correspondent.

In a brief news flash, the Arab satellite channel said Saif al-Adel was named interim leader and Mustafa al-Yemeni, whose surname hints he is from Yemen, would direct operations.

The channel is seen as having good contacts with militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan and was the main conduit for bin Laden to release messages to the media.

"I think it's more for show than anything else. It is to illustrate to the world that they have a temporary leader," Dubai-based security analyst Theodore Karasik said of Adel.

"Adel clearly has operational experience but he does not have the intellectual or charismatic side that bin Laden had."

U.S. special forces shot dead Al Qaeda leader bin Laden in his hideout outside the capital of Pakistan earlier this month, almost 10 years after the September 11 attacks of 2001 killed around 3,000 people in the United States.

U.S. prosecutors say Adel is one of al Qaeda's leading military commanders and helped plan the bomb attacks on the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998.

They also say he set up al Qaeda training camps in Sudan and Afghanistan in the 1990s.

But reports have suggested Adel viewed the September 11 attacks as a mistake and criticized bin Laden over them.
Mustafa Alani, a political analyst based in Dubai, said he doubted Adel had taken on a temporary leadership role, citing past disputes between Adel and the charismatic Saudi leader.

"This man was an opponent of bin Laden and the September 11 attacks. He criticized bin Laden personally, describing him as a dictator who took decisions without referring to his colleagues," he said.

Alani also said bin Laden was a symbolic leader who did not need to be replaced. "I am questioning the credibility of the need to replace him. Osama bin Laden is not a leader, he's an ideologist. The idea of replacing bin Laden as a manager -- it doesn't work this way," he said.

IRANIAN SOJOURN

Adel was believed to have fled to Iran after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following September 11 and was subsequently held under a form of house arrest there, according to some media reports.

Arab media reports said Iranian authorities released him from custody about a year ago, and he then moved back to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Some analysts say Adel may have returned to Iran or Afghanistan in recent weeks.

Noman Benotman, a former bin Laden associate who is now an analyst with Britain's Quilliam Foundation think-tank, said Adel was already a kind of "chief of staff" who took on the role to assuage concerns by al Qaeda activists about the group's future.

"This role that he has assumed is not as overall leader, but he is in charge in operational and military terms," he said on Tuesday, adding that Adel -- who Benotman knew personally when both were active in Afghanistan -- was on good terms with Ayman al-Zawahri, al Qaeda's number two figure.

"This has happened in response to the impatience displayed by jihadists online who have been extremely worried about the delay in announcing a successor," he told Reuters in London.

"It is hoped that now they will calm down. It also paves the way for Zawahri to take over."

Audio and video announcements from bin Laden largely dried up in recent years while Zawahri recorded frequent messages. But Zawahri is seen as lacking the charisma and oratorical skills of bin Laden, a Saudi of Yemeni origin.

Al Qaeda has an active wing in Yemen but has not managed to establish itself in Egypt, the most populous Arab nation.

(Additional reporting by Cynthia Johnston and Mahmoud Habboush in Dubai; Writing by Cynthia Johnston and Andrew Hammond; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[ectullis]

06:08 PM on 05/23/2011

Lets take bets to see how long he lasts. I say six months.

[ectullis]

06:07 PM on 05/23/2011

Next target.

[soopershrink]

03:07 PM on 05/20/2011

I still can't figure out WHO installed this guy as the next leader. Do they have some kind of a governing body? Maybe that's who we should be attacking!!!!

[amajid]

10:13 PM on 05/19/2011

This is a reply to kawieboy. Canada, France and England, and they are European countrie. Germany also. Moroccoi is an African country, but their people are that box of the United Staes, I do not agree with the US. sending Tax payers moneyshould go to other countries. The Native IndiansLive in a Third World Country, and it the US. treatment to them.

I do not think the United States should give Idreal any tax payer money to that country. Isreal live of the US. Most Third World Countries have something the US. want and need. Also countries in Africa have sopmething the US. want.

The US. is buying its enfluence around the world, and if it do not work it will try to its military.

AMajid

[amajid]

09:52 PM on 05/19/2011

This is to reply back Phoenix comment to me. The Panama Canal was built by immigrats transported to Panama. Many died from decease in Panama. One enginneer wife became ill.

The French was there 1st. and had the ideal but failed. The US. was begining to fell also. The US. was trying to finish it the French way.

The Cilvil Rights. The US. was a leader in slavery. Civil Rights have a long ways to go in the US.

People came to the so call New World was not all about religions freedom. England needed people to florish in the New World. Many of them were poor people, criminals and people being punish in England for their religion ways.

Soccer was a Chinese sport that the European adopted,

Jamestown was supprted by the Native Indians, and the Europeans were dieing. Indians show them how to plant food, hunt and fish to survive. Jamestown Christians were used to capitalize on the Native Indians.

Christians live among Muslims during the time before they both became world religions.

You have to be a Jew to be an Isrealite. No equal rights. You were called a Jentile if you were not a Jew. I am a black man and my family is from the south (slave states), and Native Indian. Black American is still in that closed box and no open mind.

US. History is written by White America for White America. The history of the Native Indians are written by White America.

AMajid

[Namvet6871]

03:19 PM on 05/19/2011

And Obams giving billions of your dollars to Egypt DUH, WAY to go Mr. Pres were screwed again!

[soopershrink]

12:44 PM on 05/19/2011

So who appointed him the new leader? Do they have a governing body of some kind like a board of directors?

[kawieboy]

10:19 AM on 05/19/2011

Wonder how happy he is about being the next target?

[BestGuest]

06:04 AM on 05/19/2011

The show MUST go on......

[amajid]

05:20 AM on 05/19/2011

This is a responds back to infinity25st. You said people come to the United States. Many reasons people come to the the US.. The US. has an open door policy to take the brilliant minds from around the world. It also has a policy to take the weak from the world to use to strenghten the United States for sheap labor etc. The Panamal Canal was not built with US. Citizens, The Misused people from the Jamaica and else where to build the canal. Also many people are being illegal brought to the US. by people who lives in the US. from those countries to use for cheap labor. Africans, Japanese, Chinanes etc. Misuse of people. It come from the Misuse of African Slaves in the United States.

The United States is a bless country, but not the best country in the world. THE UNITED STATES DID NOT HAVE CILVIC RIGHTS UNTIL THE 70'S, and it is still behind. Many say the United States finally has a black man for president, and it is a joke. Many people in the world are being educated by the people who education came from The Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Native Indians from the United States and western countries. You will see artifacts from those countries such as their knowledge, their gold,thier people, religion and riches.

The United States is a country stolen by Europeans runing from Europe from mis-treatment, and brought that mis-treatment to the west.

AMajid

[Demidan]

10:09 AM on 05/19/2011

Meh.

[kawieboy]

10:17 AM on 05/19/2011

What country is better than the USA? Maybe they can start sending billions in aid to the third world countries and we can keep our money.

[D Moon]

02:51 AM on 05/19/2011

The should turn Al-Queda into the next 'The Office' style show. Osama 'left' Dunder Muffistan and is being replaced by a new boss. The problem is much like Osama and Michael Scott the new guy just doesn't have the same qualities.

[SnapShots]

02:25 AM on 05/19/2011

I think we should pelt him with a couple million shoes.

[onlyonecandor]

01:46 AM on 05/19/2011

A man claiming to be the real Makkawi insists that he has nothing to do with al Qaeda, and describes 9/11 as a fabrication.

[Demidan]

10:09 AM on 05/19/2011

An American truther?

[Hamid Fana]

01:07 AM on 05/19/2011

Why does HP have the most ridiculous story titles! Giving Fox a run for their money

[RepubliConvicted]

12:23 AM on 05/19/2011

Let's just change his name to "bin Laden 2" so it's easier on the American press and doesn't confuse US shoppers and consumers alike.