Article

2008-08-01 India-Pakistan

Pakistan: More Rumors of Al-Zawahiri's Death

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Sherry 2008-08-01 14:17|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 please please please please. Dear God please!

Posted by Captain Lewis 2008-08-01 14:32|| 2008-08-01 14:32|| Front Page Top

#2 I'd like Genetic Evidence and substantial body parts, like a liver (or a head.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-08-01 15:10|| 2008-08-01 15:10|| Front Page Top

#3 God knows this would be good news...

Ill wait for the US Military announcement

Posted by Pheath Chaving4901 2008-08-01 15:23|| 2008-08-01 15:23|| Front Page Top

#4 wooo hooo! in advance just for the thought!!!!!

Posted by Legolas 2008-08-01 15:25|| 2008-08-01 15:25|| Front Page Top

#5 Let us hope. Midhat Mursi and Zawahiri dead together is like winning the Scratch off and Lotto jackpots. Too bad Binny doesn't travel w/ Z or we could have won the Powerball too.

Posted by ed 2008-08-01 15:28|| 2008-08-01 15:28|| Front Page Top

#6 Im sure Z is in perfect health, and this is just a rumor, and we have a long time to wait for his death

Posted by superstitiousGalitizianer 2008-08-01 15:35|| 2008-08-01 15:35|| Front Page Top

#7 SG is correct, more hoping than killing. Same ole stuff, with a new Paki brand.

Posted by .5MT 2008-08-01 15:38|| www.cybernations.net]">[www.cybernations.net] 2008-08-01 15:38|| Front Page Top

#8 whoosh, maybe?

Posted by superstitiousGalitizianer 2008-08-01 15:50|| 2008-08-01 15:50|| Front Page Top

#9 just to be precise, Limbaugh got it from Stratfor, and SF is attributing it to anon US govt sources, and no one else has picked it up yet. Hmm, anything from our friends in the Paki press?

Posted by superstitiousGalitizianer 2008-08-01 15:52|| 2008-08-01 15:52|| Front Page Top

#10 Pak press sez he's fine, they seen him out walking the dog an' helping old ladies with the groceries.

Posted by Clyde Gresh3646 2008-08-01 16:42|| 2008-08-01 16:42|| Front Page Top

#11 Of course if it's true, then it's all part of a vast Rovian conspiracy to . . . Oh wait. He's not around anymore.

Posted by Frozen Al 2008-08-01 17:38|| 2008-08-01 17:38|| Front Page Top

#12 Let's hope we can get the head.

I think it would look good on George W.'s desk for his next presser or television address.

talk about good theater!! Could you imagine George giving a speech on terrorism and then wave the head around? Might get a few more people to pay attention.

Posted by James Carville 2008-08-01 18:48|| 2008-08-01 18:48|| Front Page Top

#13 Generally in the past when rumors like this have flown around, there were strong denials from the US Govt. Anyone heard any denials yet to this rumor?

Posted by knerfley 2008-08-01 19:03|| 2008-08-01 19:03|| Front Page Top

#14

" CBS News has obtained a copy of an intercepted letter from sources in Pakistan, which urgently requests a doctor to treat Zawahiri. He's believed to be somewhere in Pakistan's remote tribal areas of Pakistan.

The letter refers to Sheikh Dr. Ayman ul Zawahiri by name - and says that he is in "severe pain" and his "injuries are infected."

It is reportedly written by local Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, whose signature and seal are visible on the letter. "

Posted by Elminemble Bucket5530 2008-08-01 19:05|| 2008-08-01 19:05|| Front Page Top

#15 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/01/eveningnews/main4316193.shtml

Posted by Elminemble Bucket5530 2008-08-01 19:06|| 2008-08-01 19:06|| Front Page Top

#16 cooool. You could mount a pencil sharpener in the forehead knot. I'd go for a couple dozen pencils that way....

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-08-01 19:11|| 2008-08-01 19:11|| Front Page Top

#17 The letter refers to Sheikh Dr. Ayman ul Zawahiri by name - and says that he is in "severe pain" and his "injuries are infected."

Where did I put that nano-violin?

Posted by john frum 2008-08-01 19:20|| 2008-08-01 19:20|| Front Page Top

#18 Elminemble Bucket5530 links to a story by Lara Logan, who's been fighting with management back home to run more stories of her embeds with the Seals in Afghanistan and such. I'd trust her. especially as she says she can't yet confirm it from official sources.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-08-01 19:26|| 2008-08-01 19:26|| Front Page Top

#19 welllll, since Adam Al-Ameriki's ectoplasm in a destroyed hovel, Dr. Z is suffering (hopefully long, painful, and ineveitably fatal with no pain meds), and Binny's a Tora Bora paste, who's next?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-08-01 19:35|| 2008-08-01 19:35|| Front Page Top

#20 from rush's site

Story #3: Zawahiri May Have Assumed Room Temperature

RUSH: From Stratfor. Now, Stratfor, if you subscribe to Stratfor, George Friedman and his wife Meredith run this outfit, it's almost like subscribing to a CIA daily brief. A dispatch today from Stratfor: "The United States is attempting to verify reports that a July 28th air strike in northwestern Pakistan resulted in the death of Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. This is according to US sources who have mentioned this to Stratfor today. An announcement from the US government, according to Stratfor, can be expected soon, the sources told Stratfor." So Ayman al-Zawahiri may be room temperature, ladies and gentlemen, as the result of a US air strike, northwestern Pakistan on July 28th.

Posted by Legolas 2008-08-01 20:00|| 2008-08-01 20:00|| Front Page Top

#21 Bound to happen with that kind of reward money on offer. Surprised it took this long really.

Posted by Butch Slath 2008-08-01 20:44|| 2008-08-01 20:44|| Front Page Top

#22 CNN reports "Senior US intelligence official" denies, repeat, denies any evidence of death or injury to Zawahiri, two Pentagon officials deny any knowledge of it. Pakistan govt says can neither confirm NOR deny, looking into it.

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-08-01 22:05|| 2008-08-01 22:05|| Front Page Top

#23 U.S. counterterrorism officials said Friday they have seen no evidence to support a media report that al Qaeda's No. 2 official, Ayman al-Zawahiri, may be critically wounded or dead.

A $25 million reward has been offered for Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command.

A senior intelligence official told CNN there is no evidence to support the CBS report on al-Zawahiri, and no reason to believe it is true.

"This is utterly uncorroborated, and at this point there is no reason to believe that al-Zawahiri has been injured or killed," another intelligence official said.

According to the CBS report, a letter intercepted in Pakistan refers to the 57-year-old physician by name and requests a doctor, saying he is in "severe pain" and his "injuries are infected."

The July 29 letter was reportedly written by a local Taliban leader whose signature and seal are on the letter, CBS said. But the network said it had not been able to authenticate the signature or the seal.

Two Pentagon officials also said they were unaware of any credible reports of al-Zawahiri's death.

Pakistan's ambassador to the United States said his country was "unable to confirm or deny" the report.

"We are looking into the reports and will comment only after we have solid evidence either way," Husain Haqqani said.

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-08-01 22:06|| 2008-08-01 22:06|| Front Page Top

#24 1. CBS f**ks up royally yet again?

2. Govt is trying to keep it quiet for a little longer, for some strategic reason, and CBS is blowing it (also a CBS f*** up, but a very different kind)

3. Govt isnt willing to go with a document they havent seen, and is letting CBS hang in the wind - but then what of the Stratfor report, not sourced to CBS. And where did CBS get the document from, if not either US or Paki govt sources?

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-08-01 22:10|| 2008-08-01 22:10|| Front Page Top

#25 and CBS responds:

U.S. authorities have said they do not have information that al-Zawahiri was present during Monday's strike, or that he was injured.

However, a counter-intelligence expert and other U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that the U.S. is looking into reports that al-Zawahiri is dead.

Logan reports that while there have been false death rumors regarding al-Zawahiri before, there have been no denials yet from Pakistan, the U.S. or al Qaeda Web sites.

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-08-01 22:12|| 2008-08-01 22:12|| Front Page Top

#26 I suppose Rantburgers are supposed to believe that that with all the Heroin & Opium around Al-Zawahiri & his asshole associate's will suffer from infected wounds as they rightly should.

Sounds like ISI RBees... although I sorely wish it were different.

Posted by Red Dawg">Red Dawg 2008-08-01 22:17|| 2008-08-01 22:17|| Front Page Top

#27 I hope ima wrong...
but I believe that the ISI and Al-Zawahiri are "birds of a feather" (Flock Together) OR feathers off the same BIRD!

Posted by Red Dawg">Red Dawg 2008-08-01 23:17|| 2008-08-01 23:17|| Front Page Top

23:46 Red Dawg
23:34 liberalhawk
23:24 Anonymoose
23:17 Red Dawg
23:12 Anonymoose
23:11 liberalhawk
23:09 Anonymoose
23:01 Anonymoose
23:00 trailing wife
22:47 bigjim-ky
22:46 Anonymoose
22:42 bigjim-ky
22:40 bigjim-ky
22:39 bigjim-ky
22:36 bigjim-ky
22:33 bigjim-ky
22:27 Red Dawg
22:26 bigjim-ky
22:26 SteveS
22:25 bigjim-ky
22:24 bigjim-ky
22:17 Red Dawg
22:16 liberalhawk
22:13 bigjim-ky