Marriot Bombing Planner Killed in CIA Strike
James Joyner | January 09, 2009
The head of al Qaeda in Pakistan was killed last week, Joby Warrick reports on page 1 of today's WaPo.
A New Year's Day CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda members long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital, U.S. counterterrorism officials confirmed yesterday.
Agency officials ascertained this week that Usama al-Kini, a Kenyan national who was described as al-Qaeda's chief of operations in Pakistan, was killed in the Jan. 1 missile strike, along with his lieutenant, identified as Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, the sources said. Both men were associated with a string of suicide attacks in Pakistan in recent months and also allegedly helped plan the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa.
Kini, who had been pursued by U.S. law enforcement agencies on two continents for a decade, was the eighth senior al-Qaeda leader killed in clandestine CIA strikes since July, the officials said. He and Swedan were ranked among the 23 most-wanted terrorists by the FBI, with a bounty offering of $5 million for their capture.
After seven years of people described as "the number three al Qaeda official" or the like being killed, seemingly without impact on the group's operations, it's easy to be cynical about these reports. Recall, however, the words of CIA director Michael Hayden in his talk at the Atlantic Council two months ago: "Today, virtually every major terrorist threat that my agency is aware of has threads back to the tribal areas." This is a major development, indeed.
That's not to say that Pakistan-based terrorism or al Qaeda are in their death throes; that's not how it works. Al Qaeda in particular has evolved into more of a brand name than a specific terrorist organization. But the fact that we're finally getting the level of intelligence cooperation necessary to locate and target the highest level leaders of these groups in the FATA is terrific news, indeed.
James Joyner is managing editor of the Atlantic Council. AP Photo by Gerald Herbert. Story tip by Memeorandum.
Comments
As I've said before I think that the approach to reducing terrorist threats lies not so much with eliminating it as to increasing its cost.
Going after leaders increases our enemies' costs in a number of important ways. First, there's the obvious loss of knowledge and expertise. There's a cost associated with replacing that or, alternatively, attacks become less effective. Either is a good thing.
Second, each leader represents a network of connections and associations. That has a replacement cost, too.
Finally, as you suggest there's a cost in status, too. As elimination of the leaders becomes quicker and more certain it removes some of the patina from the organization.
Logical.
WHat ever happened to due process and respecting other nation's sovereignty. The Bush administation should be ashamed of this action and I hope President Elect Obama strongly condems it.
Anonymous,
Your response is exactly why 9-11 happened! Incredible, Get a Grip! These people are less than animals, they prey on civilians, schools, hospitals, they have no respect for life! Even their Own Children, they fill them with hate and strap Bombs on their backs!
Give me a Break!
War and due process are incompatible. The good guys shoot the bad guys. You know, like World War II. It is legitimate to respect a nation's borders, if that nation has control of those borders. The Pakistanis don't; as a result, hostile forces inside Pakistan use the borders as a defense. So, the CIA finds a way. Obama won't change that.
WHat ever happened to due process and respecting other nation's sovereignty. The Bush administation should be ashamed of this action and I hope President Elect Obama strongly condems it.
xrapi
Al Qaeda in particular has evolved into more of a brand name than a specific terrorist organization.
sorry....its just my opinion..but Bush was realy FREAK
rapid
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