![al qaeda no2 atiyah abd al rahman killed in pakistan al qaeda no2 atiyah abd al rahman killed in pakistan](https://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240746-Atiyah_Abd_alRahman_-1314467581.jpg)
Speaking to Express Tribune, a US official said that this was a major blow to al Qaeda (AQ). “Atiyah was at the top of al Qaeda’s trusted core. He ran daily operations for the group since Shaykh Sa’id al-Masri was killed last year, and has been Zawahiri’s second-in-command since Bin Laden’s death in May.”
According to the US official, al-Rahman was known and trusted by AQ affiliates and was entrusted with speaking on behalf of both Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. “He planned the details of al Qaeda operations and its propaganda. His combination of background, experience, and abilities are unique in al Qaeda—without question, they will not be easily replaced. Zawahiri needed Atiyah’s experience and connections to help manage al Qaeda. Now it will be even harder for him to consolidate control.”
Speaking to Express Tribune, another senior US administration official said that “Atiyah’s death is a tremendous loss for al Qaeda, because Zawahiri was relying heavily on him to help guide and run the organisation, especially since Bin Laden’s death. The trove of materials from Bin Laden’s compound showed clearly that ‘Atiyah was deeply involved in directing al Qaeda’s operations even before the raid. He had multiple responsibilities in the organisation and will be very difficult to replace.”
The US officials declined to confirm the circumstances around Atiyah’s death, but a drone strike was reported to have taken place on August 22 in North Waziristan that killed four people.
Al-Rahman is believed to have risen to the No. 2 position in the al Qaeda chain of command after US forces had killed its leader, Osama bin Laden in a covert raid on a compound in Pakistani town of Abbottabad in early May.
The then second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri took over reigns of the terror outfit, paving way for al-Rahman to be promoted.
It is believed that Zawahiri along with much of senior al Qaeda and Taliban leadership are hiding in the mountainous tribal regions of Pakistan that border Afghanistan.
A former CIA station chief who had been posted in Islamabad, while giving an exclusive interview to Express 24/7 said that he believed no one in the Pakistani leadership had knowledge of Osama bin Laden hiding in Abbottabad.
COMMENTS (33)
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Drones are great. people of Waziristan, who actually live there will tell you, drones never ever hit innocent. they never make mistakes. drone zinda bad. Imran is a fake.
@My Name is Khan: Where is the evidence?
@Meekal Ahmed: I don't think so. How do we know all of the information about Al-Qaida? FROM CNN OR BBC.
Thank you USA. You clean up the garbage our politicians don't have the guts to.
@ citizen of pakistan - please stop being delusional. Imran Khan is a false messiah. Please stop treating him like he is. He is just a populist. All the evidence shows that people in FATA love drone strikes as they help clean their lands of these terrorist scum.
Terrorists find safe havens in Pakistan.
Thanks Drone Shareef!
Vienna,28-08-2011 The U.S. is inching forward. Rome is not built in a day. Have patience,terror epicentre would be made inactive and fault lines corrected.Amendments to 75 years and more Himalayan blunders take time.History is in the making in Hindu Kush region. Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM India --Kulamarva Baalakrishna
So whats the surprise??
and et we blame the USA for carrying out drone attacks in Waziristanm when we know our army is too afraid to go there and the drone attacks finish of these terrorists. Imagine the havoc this man would have unleashed if he had been alive any longer.
Seems like all of Al Qaeda's big wigs are hiding in Pakistan. I hope the American's do a "special op" when they find al-Zawahiri in Pakistan - except this time they should take him alive.
looks like gulshair of alpha bravo charlie :D
Taliban and Al Qaida are supposedly waging a jihad against the US/Western forces in Afghanistan. Why they all are found in Pakistan and not in Afghanistan where the “occupation” forces are? When would we stop being a safe haven to these terrorists even though they are killing Pakistani civilians by thousands? It is clear that they are all in Pakistan and our establishment is not doing anything, thank God the drones are taking them out one after the other.
Looks like the full Al Qaeda family and relatives enjoying life to the full in Pakistan!!
I see innocence on this guy's face. He doesn't seem to be a terrorist.
Another innocent killed by evil predator drone!
RIS: Rest In 'Hell' along with your terrorist colleagues
US needs to back off and leave Pakistan alone. So they claim that they killed bin laden and Atiyah Abd-al Rahman in Pakistan? We claim that USA killed thousands of women, children and innocent people in our country! In "civilized" world, that is called TERRORISM!! USA is proving to be nothing less than a terrorist group that is happily drone-ing all ISLAMIC states, one by one. We Pakistanis are in desperate need of an educated leader who can handle such situations. I hope and pray that Imran Khan be the next leader.
Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, and the likes will be extremely disturbed!
Thank you USA!
The reward of bad deeds is always bad!
It is good news. One more mentally sick and retarded person has been killed in a drone attack.
The Al-Qaeda has made Pakistan a state where nothing good is happening, except terrorism.
Look at the other peaceful countries in the world. How they are flourishing and people over there are at peace and not facing daily similar threats of Al-Qaeda like in Pakistan.
If Pakistan needs to flourish, it should eradicate Al-Qaeda completely once and for ever. The home grown terrorism also needs to be addressed simultaneously along with Al-Qaeda.
We must fight with the anti-Pakistani elements until the last to make Pakistan economically viable and should stand in the queue with peaceful nations.
@Rashid Awan:
It may be but if true (and we will find out in a couple of days) I say good riddance to another hateful, hate-filled and mis-directed soul.
The number one guest will also be somewhere close inside Pakistan.
why all this Alqaeda trash is hiding in Pakistan ?
Us officials says, “Atiyah was at the top of al Qaeda’s trusted core. He ran daily operations for the group since Shaykh Sa’id al-Masri was killed last year, and has been Zawahiri’s second-in-command since Bin Laden’s death in May.” http://www.currentnewshub.com/al-qaeda-leader-atiyah-abd-al-rahman-killed-in-pakistan/
Another joke by US Administration
Anathor strategic asset and guest eliminated !
look @ his eyes, a sad man with a lot of hopes and dreams. :(
Praise Allah!
RIP
Drone strike? I thought the drone strikes only killed innocent women and children? LOL!
Pakistan again in the news for all the bad reasons. I hope our agency had played some role in taking him out