Son of al-Qaeda boss captured

Herald Sun (Australia) ^ | February 25, 2004 | unknown

[jpthomas]

A son of Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahri, has been captured by Pakistani forces, one of Pakistan's leading newspapers reported today.

The Urdu-language Jang daily said Khalid al-Zawahri was arrested in an operation yesterday against al-Qaeda suspects in South Waziristan, a semi-autonomous area bordering Afghanistan.

The report, quoting diplomatic sources, said Khalid was handed over to US custody soon after the arrest and flown out of Pakistan.

Military and government officials declined to confirm or deny the report.

[jpthomas]

I'm not breaking out the champagne just yet, but if this report is true, we and the Pakistanis may indeed be closing in on the top al-Qaeda leadership.

[Cap Huff]

The capture of Zawahri's son is being called "conflicting views on reports" in a Reuter's story:

http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp;:403c776a:98f8df6241de5ef?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4432927

Thanks for posting this story.

[Cap Huff]

FYI

[Reader of news]

Do you think the captures/deads of OBL, Al Zawahri and Mullah Omar could be hold this week?

[The Duke]

So, is his crime simply being someone's son? I'd like to hear that the person incarcerated was guilty of some crime as well(?)

[Cap Huff]

It's possible, but I dare not hope for so much. I hate to get hopes up too high, only to have them dashed. However, there are some interesting things going on right now.

We do know that several people were taken near Wana yesterday, and that there were pretty good reports of foreigners among them, including four Arab women. That fits the story that Zawahri's son was taken with two wives and two daughters.

[Reader of news]

IMHO at the moment, there is a lot of information about the hunt being very close. I do not remember a moment like the present one since several months ago.

[Dog]

swarthyguy......we were correct a biggie was picked up in that raid!

[Dog]

Did you see this..

[Sacajaweau]

btt

[Preachin']

Did you miss the part about AQ suspects? It's a crime to be a member of AQ.

[Cap Huff]

I poked around a few minutes for information about "Khaled al-Zawahri" and found here:

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:L8YwqK6Qf7wJ:www.memri.de/uebersetzungen_analysen/themen/islamistische_ideologie/isl_zawahiri_11_03_03.pdf+khaled+al-Zawahiri&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

that Ayman's only son "Muhammed" was killed in Kandhahar on 11 December 2001. The info is in footnote 8. FWIW.

[happygrl]

So, is his crime simply being someone's son?

No, his crime is aiding and abbetting terrorists.

Our President warned that we would go after anyone who did.

Egyptians aren't in that part of the world for a holiday.

[Cap Huff]

"lot of information about the hunt being very close"

You've got that right. What is a delight to the imagination is the possibility that Rumsfeld is due to be in Afghanistan in a day or two. Could you imagine . . . .

[Dog]

No ...reread that Muhammed is his brother.

[Dog]

Reread this again...

Zawahiri's wife bore him one daughter in Cairo and at least three other daughters and a son elsewhere, but no information on his children is available.[8] He has two brothers -- Hassan, who studied engineering and lives outside Egypt, and Muhammad, who followed Ayman's path to Jihad and is reported to have vanished in Afghanistan.[9]

Muhammad is his brother...

[Reader of news]

Is Rumsfeld going to go to Afghanistan? Where is he now? If he went to Afghanistan, he could do an important announcement...

[Cap Huff]

Maybe I'm just too dense today. But please, re-read the footnote #8. It seems Ayman had a brother named Muhammed (according to the body of the text) who disappeared in Afghanistan. But the way I read the actual footnote 8 it seems like the son was also named Muhammed, and according to "the head of the Center for Islamic Studies in London, Mrs. Al-Zawahiri and his only son, Muhammad, were killed in Kandahar; Al-Hayat, 11 Dec., 2001. Al-Zawahiri, in an alleged telephone interview with Al-Majallah (December 16-22, 2001) denied that." Or am I reading that wrong?

[Cap Huff]

He was in Uzbekistan yesterday, and I think it's Kazakstan, probably today. Maybe Afghanistan tomorrow or Friday. I don't know, the details of his itinerary have not been published to my knowledge. In any event he is going to visit Afgahnistan in a day or two.

[Dog]

I just found an article in which Pakistan is denying they have arrested or captured Zawahiri or his son.

Very confusing..