Al-Qa'eda 'Mastermind' Trapped (New)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 3-19-2004 | David Rennie

[blam]

Al-Qa'eda 'mastermind' trapped

By David Rennie in Washington
(Filed: 19/03/2004)

A battle was raging in the Pakistani tribal borderlands last night as hundreds of troops surrounded a "high-value al-Qa'eda target" protected by fanatical fighters.

Pakistani officials said they believed they had cornered Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's right-hand-man and physician. Egyptian-born al-Zawahiri, 52, helped to mastermind the September 11 attacks and numerous other atrocities.

Osama bin Laden pictured in August 2001 with al-Zawahiri

Officials said he was being defended by more than 200 al-Qa'eda guerrillas in mud-walled fortified villages. American intelligence officials were hoping he would be taken alive.

A military official said: "We have been receiving intelligence from our agents who are working in the tribal areas that Zawahiri could be among the people hiding there."

Some reports said al-Zawahiri was more important even than bin Laden in shaping the ideology of the terrorist network. Bin Laden is not thought to be in the immediate area.

The US has offered $25 million (nearly £14 million) for information leading to al-Zawahri's capture and has doubled to $50 million the reward for catching bin Laden.

The initial attack against the village of Kaloosha in a high, bowl-shaped valley about 20 miles from the Afghan border was launched on Tuesday by lightly armed troops and was beaten back.

At least 15 troops were killed, as well as 26 suspected Islamic militants, most of them apparently foreigners. One was a Chechen. Interrogation of 18 captured men suggested that al-Zawahiri had been wounded.

Pakistani special forces, regular army troops, frontier guards and tribal militia allies then joined the battle and helicopters and heavy artillery pounded the area. Pakistan said it planned to launch an air assault on the complex at dawn today.

Gen Pervaiz Musharraf, the Pakistani president, used the phrase "high-value al-Qa'eda target" when describing the battle. He said his forces had thrown a net around the area. However, officials privately expressed fears that the rugged terrain was impossible to seal at night.

Gen Musharraf said the army commander in the field had told him: "They seem very strong, dug-in positions. The houses there are almost forts. They are mud forts."

A local commander, Brig Mahmood Shah, said that, as well as Kaloosha, the battle involved the villages of Azam Warsak and Shin Warsak.

All three are in South Waziristan, which from British colonial times has always resisted central government control. Tuesday's incursion so enraged tribesmen that they burned more than a dozen army vehicles..

Gen Musharraf conceded that his commanders had initially been "careless" in sending in forces that were too light for the task. He said villagers had been told to flee the battle zone to reduce civilian casualties.

At America's request, Pakistani forces have spent weeks on an unprecedented penetration of tribal zones. They have been offering bribes to gain co-operation and destroying houses when they encounter resistance.

Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, yesterday rewarded Pakistan's co-operation in the war on terrorism by designating the country a major non-Nato ally. This allows it to buy advanced American arms. He ended a visit to Pakistan hours before the fighting intensified

No one would say whether United States forces were involved in the fighting. Mindful of Pakistani public opinion, American and Pakistani officials insist that the US military keeps strictly to the Afghan side of the border. However, American personnel, including CIA paramilitaries, are believed to be providing communications and surveillance assistance.

They are believed to have helped a year ago when Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the suspected al-Qa'eda No 3 and the mastermind of September 11, was captured as he slept in a safe house in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi.

President George W Bush issued an uncompromising warning to Spain and other allies yesterday that terrorists could never be "appeased". Speaking against a backdrop of cheering troops, he said nations would not find safety by running and hiding from the war on terrorism.

The Islamic militant group that claimed responsibility for last week's Madrid train bombings has said its next targets could be in Britain, Australia, Japan or Italy, an Arabic newspaper reported.

The Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri said it was calling a truce in Spain to give the new socialist government time to carry out its pledge to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Pentagon officials are highly sceptical that the Abu Hafs group, with only tenuous links to al-Qa'eda, was capable of masterminding the bombings.

[blam]

Bill O'Reilly read a note on his show tonight that said Zawahiri was already dead and they were just waiting on DNA evidence before anouncing it. I don't recall where he said he got that info. He also said that the US Task Force 121 is involved.

[Rams82]

Never heard of Bill O'reilly?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

#2 guy in Al Queda. Known as OBL's doctor and considered by many as the brains of AQ and their best strategist.

[ChadGore]

Re: Who is this guy? I never heard of him.

No disrespect, but, have you been living under a rock ?

[nuconvert]

Col. Hunt

[Spruce]

Who is this guy? I never heard of him.
You sleep too much.

[TBall]

Bill O'reilly is on Fox News and can sometimes be a real ass.

[nuconvert]

You mean David Rennie ?

[blam]

"Col. Hunt"

Is that where O'Reilly got the info he read on his show? Hunt is usually pretty reliable...Isn't he?

[Enduring Freedom]

You know what, it might not be wise to try to catch this guy.

That is playing the game a little too fine in my book, especially at this stage of world affairs.

Ensure you DESTROY the islamoturd, pronto.

[Unam Sanctam]

Let's hope they get him!

[nuconvert]

Yes and no.
He's been wrong before.
I still like him, though.

[cripplecreek]

The sun is up in Pakistan by now. we should know something by morning if not sooner.

[keithtoo]

Here is his picture. Johnsama F'n Laden

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Hmmm... now, that's strange.

Where have you been?

[Dog Gone]

The story about Zawahiri being dead and waiting on DNA just doesn't pass the smell test. Clearly the battle is not over yet, and we're hardly to the point where forensic teams are conducting lab tests.

The first Pakistani troops to take these guys on this week got their butt kicked, and that is when the regular army was invited. This is no raid on the level of taking on Usay and Quday. This is a battle with what amounts to the al-Qaida Army. Premature celebration on the part of O'Reilly or anyone else is not warranted.

We'll kill or capture everyone there. But it might take another day to do it.

[Shermy]

Who is this guy? I never heard of him.

Don't play your cards too early.

[Blueflag]

The offense always has the advantage over the defense. It's just a matter of time

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Bye bye Zawahiri! Another one of those "foreign leaders" supporting Kerry bites the dust.

[DoctorMichael]

madridkid
Since Mar 15, 2004

Welcome to FreeRepublic. Try and keep up. There will be a pop-quiz later.

[blam]

"The sun is up in Pakistan by now. we should know something by morning if not sooner."

Geraldo just said it's been up for 1.5 hours already.

I heard a report earlier today that the Paki's were doing and emergency evacuation of all the civilians in the whole area. The troops would just drive up in trucks/busses and tell everyone to get in...right now, no excuses.

They're preparing the area for bombing by air... I hope they drop a MOAB on all these SOB's.

[Savage Beast]

As a physician, I hold the murderous, satanic Zawahiri in particular contempt.

[airborne]

Welcome rookie.

madridkid - member since 3/15/04

[Dog Gone]

It didn't work out so well for Pickett at Gettysburg!

[xjcsa]

Welcome to Free Republic (and the world of current events).

[PureSolace]

There will be a pop-quiz later.

I remembered to bring my Number 2 pencil this time! :)

[BushMeister]

Well, Madridkid's post didn't seem disruptive. I'm not even sure to whom he/she was refering.

[nutmeg]

Hey... That's John F'in al-Qerry! ;-)

[hilaryrhymeswithrich]

On the radio they announced that they thought they had Bin Laden's number two surrounded.......my kids and I giggled for quite a while over that!

[blam]

"The story about Zawahiri being dead and waiting on DNA just doesn't pass the smell test. Clearly the battle is not over yet, and we're hardly to the point where forensic teams are conducting lab tests."

There are other reports out of Pakistan that he has been wounded...something pretty serious is up.

The Task Forse 121 guys would know the political ramifications of saying 'we have him or he's dead' and then it turn out not to be true. I understand the caution on an announcement without positive proof.

[Levy78]

I don't know why... but you almost made me fall out of my chair laughing. Good one!

[lainde]

Glad you feel that way too...And making it especially obscene and incomprehensible, he's a pediatrician!

[Dog Gone]

I understand those reports are based on some captured al-Qaida fighters, plus intercepted phone messages. So, that seems to be rather likely, and very good news. It makes the likelihood that he can escape this noose much less.

[longtermmemmory]

number two is what is flowing at camp kerry.

[mombonn]

sometimes?????

[airborne]

I was friendly enough. Heck, I didn't even mention the double post. (till now)

[airborne]

Nice post. It's like something out of Beavis and Butthead. My son and I are laughing over that one.

[texasflower]

He's a PEDIATRICIAN?

Sick freak.

[lonevoice]

Oopsie. MadridKid has been zotted. That's the third troll zotted on a Musharraf thread today. I think this action in Pakistan has them pretty agitated for some odd reason... ;-)

[beaversmom]

David Hunt told O'Reilly today that it's all over except the DNA--let's hope he is right.

[mplsconservative]

Oh my, my head is spinning trying to keep up with all of these threads.

Now you owe me a keyboard with that post. That is hilarious!

We call our 7-year-old "Mr. Literal" because he takes everything so literally. (Doh!) I can imagine the look he'd have if he heard Bin Laden's number two was surrounded! At this hour, I'll save the announcement for morning.

Thanks for the laugh!

[Dog Gone]

Well, it probably is, except that David Hunt has no more idea of what's happening in that remote valley right now than you or I do. I think he's right, but only as a future prediction.

If and when the Pakistanis mop up the resistance in this valley, they'll say so. They've actually been rather forthcoming on all the reports up to this point, including the discouraging reports of unexpected resistance, kidnapped troops, and unexpected losses.

When they've won, and are holding the secret of whether they've gotten their "high value target", we'll get leaks out of them, not only from a retired US military officer who is in no position to know.

[lainde]

Yes! Physicians are especially disgusted by him! I long for his capture more than OBL. What an utter deviant perversion of talent!

[beaversmom]

That's why I framed it in the--"let's hope he's right" way. I don't know what he knows or what connections he's still got. Maybe he doesn't have any and is only reading between the lines of what's being said. I just want some good news so I'm grasping on to anything positive--hoping and praying.

[beaversmom]

Another Mengele.

[Robert_Paulson2]

but.. but... how will bin laden survive without his DOCTOR?

his doctor this guy is right?
looks like osami if still breathing, is not too far away.

[dennisw]

</TBODY

Thu Mar 18, 1:56 PM ET
Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), left, with his top lieutenant Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahri, are seen at an undisclosed location in this television image broadcast Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001. Graphic at top right reads 'Exclusive to Al-Jazeera.' At bottom right is the station's logo which reads 'Al-Jazeera.' At top left is 'recorded.' (AP Photo/Al Jazeera, File)

[dennisw]

Thu Mar 18, 1:51 PM ET
This file televsion image released by Qatar's Al-Jazeera televison broadcast on Oct. 5, 2001 shows Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), right, and his top lieutenant, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahri at an undisclosed location. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Al-Jazeera via APTN, File)