Introducing Al-Qaeda's new operational head

[BEER980]

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.

[Wnghs2007]

Al-Liby how many of these extremist are there ?

[tronbunny]

This is good news...that we THINK we know the de-facto operational head.
Let's go get him!

[sponger]

Makes me think Osma is probably dead or really sick

[Wnghs2007]

Makes me think Osma is probably dead or really sick

Yeah all these people complaining about us not going after him. He may already be dead?

[yoda]

Makes me think Osma is probably dead or really sick

Yeah all these people complaining about us not going after him. He may already be dead?

Unlikely. Intelligence sources show that he is still likely to be alive.

[Wnghs2007]

Makes me think Osma is probably dead or really sick

Yeah all these people complaining about us not going after him. He may already be dead?

Unlikely. Intelligence sources show that he is still likely to be alive.

Yeah were not these the same intelligence sources that showed WMD's in Iraq

[yoda]

Makes me think Osma is probably dead or really sick

Yeah all these people complaining about us not going after him. He may already be dead?

Unlikely. Intelligence sources show that he is still likely to be alive.

Yeah were not these the same intelligence sources that showed WMD's in Iraq

No. This is from German and Pakistani Intelligence.

[Wnghs2007]

Makes me think Osma is probably dead or really sick

Yeah all these people complaining about us not going after him. He may already be dead?

Unlikely. Intelligence sources show that he is still likely to be alive.

Yeah were not these the same intelligence sources that showed WMD's in Iraq

No. This is from German and Pakistani Intelligence.

Oh Ok. LOL. My fault

[BEER980]

I have heard recently that he is operating in China near the border. I would have to do some digging for the story but it semed to be plausable.

[yoda]

I have heard recently that he is operating in China near the border. I would have to do some digging for the story but it semed to be plausable.

Hmmm... that would be plausible. I will check up on that as well.

[Wnghs2007]

I have heard recently that he is operating in China near the border. I would have to do some digging for the story but it semed to be plausable.

Wow he is in China now possibly. Wow

[BEER980]

I found the story if you are interested.

[stormie_skies]

IMO the operational head of Al Queda, be it Bin Laden, Al-Liby, Zarqawi or anyone else, really doesnt have all that much power anymore ....the jihadist movement has grown so much that intelligence suggests the largest threat comes from "franchised" operations - tiny homegrown independent cells who get instructions on internet sites or books and carry out their acts alone....there could be millions of them, in every country across the globe....