ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A U.S. drone strike in northwest Pakistan has killed al-Qaeda’s second in command, officials from both countries confirmed Tuesday, the most significant victory so far in the controversial bombing campaign and the biggest setback to the terrorist network since the death of Osama bin Laden.
Abu Yahya al-Libi was considered a media-savvy, charismatic leader with religious credentials. He was helping to preside over the transformation of a secretive group based in Pakistan and Afghanistan into a global movement aimed at winning converts — and potential attackers — from Somalia to the Philippines.
This was not the first time the U.S. had al-Libi in its sights. He was captured a decade ago and held by American forces at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan until he escaped in 2005 in an embarrassing security breach. Soon thereafter, he began appearing in videos in which he talked about the lessons he learned while watching his captors, whom he described as cowardly, lost and alienated.
White House spokesman Jay Carney called al-Libi’s death a “major blow” to the terrorist group. Carney described al-Libi as an operational leader and a “general manager” of al-Qaeda. He said al-Libi had a range of experience that will be hard for al-Qaeda to replicate and brings the terrorist network closer to its ultimate demise than ever before.
A U.S. official familiar with the case, who confirmed that al-Libi was killed in a drone strike, said no one left in al-Qaeda comes close to replacing the expertise the group has just lost. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
A Pakistani intelligence official said late Tuesday that al-Libi was dead but declined to say how authorities knew this or whether they had seen his body. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified nature of the drone program. Al-Libi, who was considered a hero in militant circles because of his escape from the American military prison, was elevated to al-Qaeda’s No. 2 spot when Ayman al-Zawahri replaced bin Laden.
