Introducing Al-Qaeda's new operational head
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 7:39 pm
From http://www.janes.com
Al-Qaeda's new operational head
By M Ansari
Debriefing by security officials in Pakistan of several dozen militants captured there since July, has revealed the name of Abu Faraj al-Liby who, they say, is the man currently calling the shots on behalf of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
"Every time we interrogate a militant linked to Al-Qaeda, Al-Liby's name pops up," said a Pakistani security agent, who requested not to be identified.
These officials said that Al-Liby was not only the man who orchestrated major terrorist acts carried in Pakistan recently - including the latest suicide attack on Shoukat Aziz, the newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister, during his election campaign - but he was also behind the coded messages sent to Al-Qaeda sleeping cells in the UK and US, assisted by Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan, who was arrested in July.
The deciphered messages revealed that Al-Liby was co-ordinating pre-election terrorist acts in the US, and had sent messages to several militants in the UK in the last eight to 10 months.
At least two of the UK-based militants are said to have travelled to Pakistan from London and held meetings with Al-Liby to finalise the attacks.
Previously, Al-Liby worked as deputy to Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Al-Qaeda's operational head for the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. Al-Liby took over after Mohammad was captured in Rawalpindi on 1 March 2003. "Al-Liby was immediately elevated to the terrorist network's top position in its hierarchy because he was the right-hand man of Mohammad and was personally trusted by Bin Laden due to his past role," an investigator said.
Even today, Al-Liby is one of the few top Al-Qaeda militants who could possibly know the whereabouts of Bin Laden or Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
Security officials said, given that Al-Qaeda continues to maintain considerable legions of terrorist cells from Indonesia to the Philippines and from New York to London, they always need someone to co-ordinate and utilise these cadres. Since many of these cadres are familiar with Al-Liby's name, it is assumed he automatically qualified to replace Mohammad in this role.
Al-Qaeda's new operational head
By M Ansari
Debriefing by security officials in Pakistan of several dozen militants captured there since July, has revealed the name of Abu Faraj al-Liby who, they say, is the man currently calling the shots on behalf of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
"Every time we interrogate a militant linked to Al-Qaeda, Al-Liby's name pops up," said a Pakistani security agent, who requested not to be identified.
These officials said that Al-Liby was not only the man who orchestrated major terrorist acts carried in Pakistan recently - including the latest suicide attack on Shoukat Aziz, the newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister, during his election campaign - but he was also behind the coded messages sent to Al-Qaeda sleeping cells in the UK and US, assisted by Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan, who was arrested in July.
The deciphered messages revealed that Al-Liby was co-ordinating pre-election terrorist acts in the US, and had sent messages to several militants in the UK in the last eight to 10 months.
At least two of the UK-based militants are said to have travelled to Pakistan from London and held meetings with Al-Liby to finalise the attacks.
Previously, Al-Liby worked as deputy to Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Al-Qaeda's operational head for the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. Al-Liby took over after Mohammad was captured in Rawalpindi on 1 March 2003. "Al-Liby was immediately elevated to the terrorist network's top position in its hierarchy because he was the right-hand man of Mohammad and was personally trusted by Bin Laden due to his past role," an investigator said.
Even today, Al-Liby is one of the few top Al-Qaeda militants who could possibly know the whereabouts of Bin Laden or Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
Security officials said, given that Al-Qaeda continues to maintain considerable legions of terrorist cells from Indonesia to the Philippines and from New York to London, they always need someone to co-ordinate and utilise these cadres. Since many of these cadres are familiar with Al-Liby's name, it is assumed he automatically qualified to replace Mohammad in this role.
