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Blitzed on his balcony: How CIA spied on Ayman al-Zawahiri for six months before pounding terror chief with two Hellfire missiles when he stepped out of Kabul home and 'lingered'
Daily Mail UK ^ | August 1, 2022 | Alex Hammer

Posted on 08/01/2022 8:21:09 PM PDT by Morgana

The United States killed al Qaeda boss Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike Saturday, following a more than 20-year effort to assassinate the terrorist.

Labeled by US officials as Osama bin Laden’s number-two, al-Zawahiri, 71, was a key plotter of the September 11 terrorist attacks and took over as the leader of the notorious terror group following bin Laden’s death in 2011.

The strike was carried out early Sunday at an Afghanistan safe house the elderly terrorist had be holed up in, at 6:18 am local time and 9:48 pm Saturday in the US.

The early morning attack saw al-Zawahiri killed by two hellfire missiles fired from drones deployed by the CIA, as he stood on the balcony of the safe house in downtown Kabul.

The Egyptian-born jihadist apparently proceeded to linger on the landing, as U.S. intelligence had noted he often did, allowing the drone ample time to execute the attack.

The mission, officials said, took six months to plan - but served as the culmination of a much wider, carefully coordinated campaign to track down and kill the al Qaeda head, who had successfully evaded US armed forces up until this point.

The slaying came more than 11 years after Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by U.S. Navy Seals on May 2, 2011, in a more hands on, drone-less strike that came after a nearly decade-long hunt for the 9/11 mastermind.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: 202208; abuhajeraliraqui; afghanistan; alexhammer; aliraqui; alqaeda; alzawahiri; alzawahri; anwarsadat; aymanalzawahiri; chrispleasance; cia; daressalaam; egypt; egyptianislamicjihad; eij; elj; emilygoodin; goodriddance; hellfire; iran; iraq; irgc; islamicjihad; kabul; kenya; luxor; nairobi; natashaanderson; ninjamissiles; noriskstrike; pakistan; pos; qudsforce; syria; taliban; tanzania; waronterror; yemen; zawahiri
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To: Trump Girl Kit Cat

A safe first assumption is to always assume they are lying. Sad to say.


41 posted on 08/01/2022 9:55:50 PM PDT by alternatives? (The only reason to have an army is to defend your borders.)
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To: Morgana

This reminds me of when the Obama Regime took out Osama. Obama Osama had to get in from of cameras late in the evening to announce it, IIRC. 7:30PM is late for Joe. Why, besides domestic politics, does the Biden Regime need to release details this quickly?


42 posted on 08/01/2022 10:09:13 PM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14/12 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15/12 - 1030am - Obama team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: Curious

Are we still keeping an eye out for Mullah Omar?


43 posted on 08/01/2022 10:26:35 PM PDT by deks
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To: Morgana

Wag the Dog. No body, no witnesses.


44 posted on 08/01/2022 11:42:19 PM PDT by Chauncey Gardiner
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To: Morgana
Labeled by US officials as Osama bin Laden’s number-two, al-Zawahiri, 71

The US has no peer when it comes to killing second in command terrorists.

45 posted on 08/01/2022 11:50:43 PM PDT by Nachoman (Following victory, its best to reload.)
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To: Morgana

They had to wait that long to make sure his wife and kids didn’t get hurt, nor anyone else, and probably had to beg and plead with the Taliban to get formal permission.


46 posted on 08/01/2022 11:59:13 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Morgana
...the safe house...

Will he get his deposit back?

47 posted on 08/02/2022 1:14:09 AM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: Morgana

Finally! Now I’ll be able to sleep better knowing the world is safer. Derp.


48 posted on 08/02/2022 2:03:51 AM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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To: Morgana
'No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out,' President Biden said yesterday.

Hey Joe, we know all about threats to people in our Constitutional republic: In 2020 U.S. presidential election, there were 1.8 million mail-in ballots sent out and 2.5 million mail-in ballots returned in Pennsylvania , your home state. "Find you and take you out" seems an excellent action plan when dealing with U.S. domestic enemies, no matter how long it takes.

49 posted on 08/02/2022 2:30:24 AM PDT by Ahithophel (Communication is an art form susceptible to sudden technical failure)
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To: BradyLS

Kinetic Hellfire R9X. No warhead explosives, just blades that swing out to kill only one guy.


50 posted on 08/02/2022 3:30:42 AM PDT by LumberJack53213
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To: Bratch

How many career military professionals would have to be in on this conspiracy?


51 posted on 08/02/2022 3:36:21 AM PDT by semimojo
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To: Morgana

This bs convinces me more and more the cabal did 911.


52 posted on 08/02/2022 4:31:28 AM PDT by Wilderness Conservative (Nature is the ultimate conservative)
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To: Morgana

How did the CIA know the target would linger 10 more minutes, not ten more seconds?????

That, and any local peeping toms spying on the target on now busted

Lets go Brandon


53 posted on 08/02/2022 5:09:08 AM PDT by Steven Tyler
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To: Morgana

Saying this POS is dead doesn’t convince me. Hell, I’m not even convinced Bin Laden is dead. Show some bodies. With all the violence on TVs, movies, and video games — not to mention media — are we too squeamish to see?

And although this vermin needed killing, it’s interesting that it seems they saved him until they needed an election bump…


54 posted on 08/02/2022 5:15:37 AM PDT by Magnatron
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To: Magnatron

His age had to have decreased his importance.


55 posted on 08/02/2022 5:18:33 AM PDT by combat_boots
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To: Morgana
Also does he get his 72 virgins? Does this count?

Yes, and they are beautiful.

But they all sound like Rosie O'Donnell.

56 posted on 08/02/2022 5:24:24 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐Public hangings will wake 'em up.⭐⭐)
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To: Morgana

They took him out when their regime needed a win before midterms. Nothing is done without doing it to further the agenda.


57 posted on 08/02/2022 5:28:00 AM PDT by dforest
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To: Morgana

This article relates details not found by me elsewhere.

The man was slain when he made his usual trip out on to his balcony where he was alone. That is the two missiles, said to have lots of blades, killed him with no collateral damage to others, especially family. The specific missile is alluded to because there was no explosion, no noise. It apparently kills cleanly.

So the interval of 6 months was required to organize the slaying and then wait for the precise circumstances required for success.

This is my interpretation of various accounts I have read.

My question is, where did the drone come from?


58 posted on 08/02/2022 5:28:27 AM PDT by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Juneteenth is inequality day)
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To: bert
My question is, where did the drone come from?

From anywhere. The long range drones have a range of ~15K miles. If they have to fly at lower altitudes, obviously the range is less.

59 posted on 08/02/2022 5:52:42 AM PDT by EVO X ( )
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To: EVO X

Only a fool thinks the Taliban didn’t know of or sanction a drone loitering in their airspace.


60 posted on 08/02/2022 5:56:23 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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