Al Qaeda No. 2 killed in drone strike: U.S. official

[hue]

Source: Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abu Yahya al Libi, a Libyan-born top al Qaeda leader, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan earlier this week, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

U.S. officials said that Abu Yahya had recently been considered by U.S. counter-terrorism experts as the No. 2 in the core al Qaeda group led by Ayman al Zawahiri.

Zawahiri has headed the group since al Qaeda's founder, Osama bin Laden, was killed last year in a U.S. commando raid on his hideout in Pakistan.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-pakistan-libibre854072-20120604,0,5652051.story

[AnotherMcIntosh]

1. They got another No. 2. How many No. 2's does Al Qaeda have?

[Archae]

3. Sounds like that job is good for...

Seriously, just look at the people Al-Qaeda still has.
No wonder they keep failing.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Last week, too, didn't they?

Don't ask me; I can't keep track of them all.

Worst job security in the world: being Al Qaeda's number 2 man.

[Renew Deal]

8. Great place to work. Frequent promotions...

Explosive Growth Opportunities Available

[Left Coast2020]

27. Very likely.

So can we expect to see openings for another "Number 2" posted on Craigslist?

[Renew Deal]

38. Apparently yes!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014137497

[smirkymonkey]

10. It's like a South Park Episode...

"Oh my god, they've killed Kenny. You bastards!" After a while it just gets old and nobody really pays attention any more.

They could kill another "No. 2" every day - I don't think anyone really attaches any significance to it. Never underestimate the short attention span of the American mind.

[Vidar]

14. It doesn't matter as long as Slim Pickens plays him in the movie.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. As many drummers as Spinal Tap has

I can't wait for the bizarre Al-Qaeda gardening accident.

[Rozlee]

24. He's secretly Freddie al-Kreugeri.

No matter how many times you kill him, he keeps coming back.

[LuckyLib]

25. Infinite numbers . . . number 3 keeps moving up.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. I wonder if Robert Wagner...

is going to apply for that job.

[Rhiannon12866]

36. I feel terrible, actually laughed when I first heard this.

It's just that I've heard this so many times before...

[RC]

2. #2, again?

Didn't we kill enough #2's during the bu$h administration?

I thought bin Laden was #1. Shouldn't there be an at least an advertisement for the #1 spot opening by now?

[HereSince1628]

4. Yep, dangerous job- that one...the replacements are dropping like drone-strikes.

[flamingdem]

6. It's like a Monty Python routine

Every number 2 gets whacked. Who'd want the job?

[targetpractice]

7. Pretty flat organization, apparently...

Pretty state-of-the art management...

[Arctic Dave]

9. They have to keep calling the "number two",

they don't want you to know they are wasting billions of dollars killing #398.

[JDPriestly]

11. How do they really know who they are aiming at?

[morningfog]

12. Most of the time they don't know who they are aiming at.

This time they did. They targeted al-Libi. Most of the time, however, they target and kill "suspected militants". In those instances, by far the majority now, they know only that the activity appears to suggest they may be "militants". They kill unidentified and unnamed individuals without much to go on. That is one reason the civilian death count is so high. It is not only when there are innocents nearby, many times innocents are mistakenly believed to be "militants" when they are targeted.

If you read closely the recent articles on the drone strikes, the language has moved from targeting and killing "terrorists" to targeting and killing "militants".

[SwissTony]

13. Excuse my ignorance, but who's now No 1?

I mean we got Osama...

[grantcart]

15. Ayman al Zawahiri

[SwissTony]

17. I thought we got him ages ago. Now I know better. Thanks. nt

[slackmaster]

22. That would be "telling"

[whatchamacallit]

16. It is another glorious victory for the homeland! All hail Oceania!

[CrawlingChaos]

26. +1000

[FourScore]

19. I bet he was pissed he never got that promotion to #1 after Bin Laden was retired.

Nobody even knows the guy's name.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

20. Who is now No. 2?

[may3rd]

21. I'm sure they'll be well vetted before given the job. btw, who WAS the #3 ?

That Egyptian doctor still #1 ?

[awoke_in_2003]

29. ...

?w=300&h=247

[truthisfreedom]

23. You are, number six.

Prisoner: Who are you?
Number Two: The new Number Two.
Prisoner: Who is Number One?
Number Two: You... are Number Six.
Prisoner: I am not a number. I am a free man.
Number Two: Ha, ha, ha, ha....

[pettypace]

30. So Zawahiri is number 1....

Which means when Osama was alive Zawahiri by default would have been number 2, yet we constantly had reports of "number 2" being killed long before May 2011.

What gives because the math is all shot to hell?

[Odin2005]

31. What a load of BS. Abu Yahya? sounds completely made up.

[DeSwiss]

32. Another....

Yahya-come-lately?

[lonestarnot]

33. Pantload.

Ahyahyah yah. Sounds like another 999 program. Herman did it.

[hack89]

40. Apparently he is all over the intertubes and Youtube

Dec 16, 2005 – Names and Information of Twelve Detainees in Bagram Prison in Afghanistan from Sheikh Abu Yehia al-Libi [1]
Dec 21, 2005 – Eid al-Fitr Sermon 2005 Eid al-Fitr Sermon by Abu Yehia al-Libi and Scene of Mujahideen Training Exercises [2]
Dec 21, 2005 – A Letter to Abu Musab al-Zarqaw from Abu Yehia al-Libi [3]
Dec 27, 2005 – Jihad or Resistance – An Examination of the Exchanging Terms from Islamic Law for Secular, Western Terms by Abu Yehia al-Libi [4]
Mar 7, 2006 – A Discussion Concerning the Facts and Claims of Extremism Within Islam by Abu Yehia al-Libi [5]
Apr 17, 2006 – Hamas and the Impending Exposure by Abu Yehia al-Libi [6]
May 9, 2006 – [7]
Abu Yahya al-Libi on May 11, 2006 [8]
Abu Yahya al-Libi on Jun. 17, 2006 (English Subtitles)
June 2005 – As-Sahab Interview with Abu Yahya al-Libi [9] [10]
Light & Fire in Eulogizing the Martyr Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (English Subtitles)
Jul 26, 2006 – Labik Video Production: “They Are Coming,” of Mujahideen Training Exercises in Afghanistan and Speeches from Abu Yehia al-Libi [11]
Jul 31, 2006 – As-Sahab Video Eulogy from Abu Yehia al-Libi for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi [12]
Jihadi Poems
Combat, Not Compromise (English Subtitles) transcript
Oct 27, 2006 – “The Infidel Karzai Regime and the Necessity of War” [13]
Nov 2, 2006 – Abu Yahya al-Libi Video Eulogy for Faruq al-Iraqi Produced by as-Sahab [14]
Dec 26, 2006 – Our Battle Between Intensity [of the Past] and the Caution of Tomorrow [15]
Feb 1, 2007 – And the Crusade Continues... The AIDs Children in Libya (English Subtitles) [16]
Feb 12, 2007 – Labik Productions Presents Selected Pictures of a Shari’a Course Led by Abu Yahya al-Libi in a Mujahideen Training Center [17]
Feb 8, 2007 – The Adha Holiday Sermon 1427H
Mar 22, 2007 – Iraq: Between Indications of Victory and Conspiratorial Intrigues (English Subtitles) [18]
Mar 25, 2007 – To the Army of Difficulty in Somalia (English Subtitles) [19]
Apr 30, 2007 – Palestine, an Alarming Scream and a Warning Cry [20]
May 30, 2007 – The Tawheed of Saud... and the True Tawheed (English Subtitles) [21]
Jun 6, 2007 – Eulogy for Mullah Dadullah (Eulogy for Taliban Commander Mullah Dadullah)[22]
Jul 31, 2007 – The Masters of the Martyrs (Of the Masters of Martyrs) [23]
Sep 9, 2007 – Dots on the Letters (English Subtitles) [As-Sahab Second Interview with Shaykh abu Yahia Al-Libi] [24]
Nov 7, 2007 – The Closing Statement for the Religious Training that was Held at One of the Mujahideen Centers (Final Session of the Shari’a Course Held at a Mujahideen Center). Video. The transcript of this speech is titled 'Balancing Between Jihad and Seeking Knowledge'. Transcript (Apr 19, 2008 – [Eid al-Adha 1428]). video and transcript links, SITE Intel Group on speech
Going Forth – Nafeer (Go Forth) Khutbah video more links
The Companion
Dec 18, 2007 – Trumpet of War – Video[25]
Jan 8, 2007 – The Fire of the Magi in the Arabian Peninsula [26]
January 20, 2008
Feb 11, 2008 – Selected Notifications Of Jihad – Transcript
March 3, 2008 – “Companion of the Path”, Abu Yahya Al-Libi Delivers Eulogy for Abu Laith Al-Libi
March 10, 2008 – I am Not a Deceiver, Nor Will I Allow Someone to Deceive Me Site institute on speech
May 22, 2008 – Abu Yahya al-Libi Derides Moderation of Islam [27]
June 23, 2008 – Somalia – No Peace without Islaam UK News article, video part 1, part 2, video discussion, SITE Intel Group on speech

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Yahya_al-Libi

[Hugabear]

34. Number Two is the Al-Qaeda version of Star Trek's "red-shirts"

Anyone familiar with the original Star Trek series knew that anytime you saw an unfamiliar cast member in a red shirt, he wasn't going to last very long.

[grantcart]

35. lol

[may3rd]

39. engineers are expendable

especially if they are explosives engineers

[Odin2005]

41. LMAO!!!

[just1voice]

37. They find the WMD too? LOL

Seriously, an I mean totally seriously as the story is supposedly talking about people who want to attack the U.S., how many times do the defense department propagandists plan to run with "Al Qaeda No. 2" stories? The stories are as believable as bigfoot tv shows.