Pakistan: U.S. drone kills senior al-Qaida leader

Monday, December 10, 2012

— A U.S. drone strike killed a senior al-Qaida leader in Pakistan’s tribal region near the Afghan border, Pakistani intelligence officials said Sunday.

Sheik Khalid bin Abdel Rehman al-Hussainan, who was also known as Abu Zaid al-Kuwaiti, was killed when missiles slammed into a house Thursday near Mir Ali, one of the main towns in the North Waziristan tribal area, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity, because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Al-Kuwaiti appeared in many videos released by al-Qaida’s media wing, Al-Sahab, and was presented as a religious scholar for the group.Earlier this year, he replaced Abu Yahya al-Libi, al-Qaida’s second in command, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan in June, the intelligence officials said. Al-Libi was a key religious figure within al-Qaida and also a prominent militant commander.

Al-Kuwaiti was not part of the U.S. State Department’s list of most wanted terrorist suspects, as al-Libi had been.

On Sunday, four dronelaunched missiles blew apart a house near Miran Shah, another main town in North Waziristan, killing three suspected militants, intelligence officials said. North Waziristan has become the main hub for al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Pakistan.

Covert CIA drone strikes have killed a series of senior al-Qaida and Taliban leaders in Pakistan’s tribal region over the past few years. Pakistani officials often criticize such strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, which has helped make them extremely unpopular in the country. But senior Pakistani officials are known to have cooperated with strikes in the past, and many people believe they still do.

Al-Kuwaiti’s wife and daughter were wounded in Thursday’s drone attack, according to the intelligence officials. His wife died a day later at a hospital in Miran Shah.

Al-Kuwaiti was buried in Tappi village near Mir Ali on Friday, the officials said.

A Pakistani Taliban commander who frequently visits North Waziristan said he met some Arab fighters Saturday who were “very aggrieved.” The Arabs told him they lost a “big leader” in a drone strike, but would not reveal his name or his exact position in al-Qaida.

The Taliban commanderspoke on condition of anonymity for fear of revealing his identity to the Pakistani government.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Afghanistan, Afghan and coalition forces rescued an American doctor who had been kidnapped by the Taliban. At least six people were killed and two Taliban leaders were arrested during the rescue, officials said.

The American, Dr. Dilip Joseph, and two Afghan doctors were abducted Wednesday as they traveled to a clinic in the Sorobi District of eastern Afghanistan, about an hour outside of the capital, Kabul, said the district police chief, Naqeebullah Khan.

Joseph is a medical adviser for Morningstar Development, a nonprofit organization based in Colorado that focuses on economic and community development in Afghanistan.

The rescue by Afghan and U.S. forces took place early Sunday in Laghman province after coalition officials received reports that the doctor was in imminent danger of injury or death.

President Barack Obamaon Sunday praised U.S. special operations forces who were involved in the rescue, including one who was killed in action. In a separate statement, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the “fallen hero, and all of our special operators” represent the “highestideals of citizenship, sacrifice and service.” Jogpsnbujpo! gps! uijt! bsujdmf! xbt! dpousjcvufe! cz! Sbtppm! Ebxbs-! Jtiujbr! Nbitve! boe! tubgg! nfn.

cfst!pg!Uif!Bttpdjbufe!Qsftt!boe! cz! Tibsjgvmmbi! Tbibl! boe! B{bn! Binfe!pg!Uif!Ofx!Zpsl!Ujnft/

Front Section, Pages 4 on 12/10/2012