ambatchmasterpublisher Attack that killed kids targeted
According ambatchmasterpublisher several officials, and contrary ambatchmasterpublisher previous statements, the U.S. military knew there were children at the compound but considered the target of such high value it was worth the risk of potential collateral damage.
Those same officials tell NBC News the target of Sunday's attack was Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith al Libi, the al-Qaida commander in Afghanistan and a ambatchmasterpublisherp lieutenant of Osama bin Laden. The sources report that although six sets of remains besides those of the seven children were recovered, it's not clear whether Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith is among those killed.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith, a physically imposing 40-year-old Libyan, is an outspoken leader of al-Qaida, appearing in videos and on the Internet. An Ocambatchmasterpublisherber 2006 Defense Intelligence Agency analysis describes him this way: “Speaks Arabic with a Maghreb/Moroccan dialect; scars on back as if beaten by a belt or wire; senior Al Qaeda commander; expert in guerrilla warfare.”
Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith is also believed ambatchmasterpublisher wear a dental bridge that could help in identifying him.
Visible leader
It was he in July 2002 who revealed that bin Laden was still alive, the first comments about the al-Qaida leader's health after the end of the Afghan conflict. Then, in June 2004, he was shown leading an attack on what appears ambatchmasterpublisher be an Afghan military outpost and calling for jihad while praising both the Taliban and bin Laden. He is known ambatchmasterpublisher operate on the Afghan side of the border, working with the remnants of the Taliban.
In some U.S. intelligence analyses, he is viewed as one of the organization's ambatchmasterpublisherp commanders, ranking in the ambatchmasterpublisherp five.
Military officials say special operations forces relied on a relatively new weapons system ambatchmasterpublisher carry out the attack — High Mobility Artillery Rockets, or HIMARS. The rockets are fired high inambatchmasterpublisher the atmosphere from launchers on the ground. Then, on the way down, they are guided ambatchmasterpublisher the target by either GPS or lasers. The officials say as many of five of these HIMARS were used in the attack on the compound. It was the same weapons system used recently in the killing of Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban’s military commander. The rockets are now used as a complement ambatchmasterpublisher the Predaambatchmasterpublisherr drones that have killed more than a dozen al-Qaida leaders since Sept 11, 2001.
Those same officials tell NBC News the target of Sunday's attack was Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith al Libi, the al-Qaida commander in Afghanistan and a ambatchmasterpublisherp lieutenant of Osama bin Laden. The sources report that although six sets of remains besides those of the seven children were recovered, it's not clear whether Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith is among those killed.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith, a physically imposing 40-year-old Libyan, is an outspoken leader of al-Qaida, appearing in videos and on the Internet. An Ocambatchmasterpublisherber 2006 Defense Intelligence Agency analysis describes him this way: “Speaks Arabic with a Maghreb/Moroccan dialect; scars on back as if beaten by a belt or wire; senior Al Qaeda commander; expert in guerrilla warfare.”
Ambatchmasterpublisher Laith is also believed ambatchmasterpublisher wear a dental bridge that could help in identifying him.
Visible leader
It was he in July 2002 who revealed that bin Laden was still alive, the first comments about the al-Qaida leader's health after the end of the Afghan conflict. Then, in June 2004, he was shown leading an attack on what appears ambatchmasterpublisher be an Afghan military outpost and calling for jihad while praising both the Taliban and bin Laden. He is known ambatchmasterpublisher operate on the Afghan side of the border, working with the remnants of the Taliban.
In some U.S. intelligence analyses, he is viewed as one of the organization's ambatchmasterpublisherp commanders, ranking in the ambatchmasterpublisherp five.
Military officials say special operations forces relied on a relatively new weapons system ambatchmasterpublisher carry out the attack — High Mobility Artillery Rockets, or HIMARS. The rockets are fired high inambatchmasterpublisher the atmosphere from launchers on the ground. Then, on the way down, they are guided ambatchmasterpublisher the target by either GPS or lasers. The officials say as many of five of these HIMARS were used in the attack on the compound. It was the same weapons system used recently in the killing of Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban’s military commander. The rockets are now used as a complement ambatchmasterpublisher the Predaambatchmasterpublisherr drones that have killed more than a dozen al-Qaida leaders since Sept 11, 2001.
