Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri
On 31 July 2022, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of the Salafi jihadist group al-Qaeda, was killed by a United States drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan.After receiving authorization from U.S. President Joe Biden to initiate the strike, the CIA fired two Hellfire missiles at the balcony of al-Zawahiri's house, killing him.U.S. officials called al-Zawahiri's presence in Afghanistan a violation of the agreement for the withdrawal of American forces from the country, under which the Taliban would not allow al-Qaeda members any sanctuary.[4] In late 2001, bin Laden and al-Zawahiri eluded the grasp of American forces during their invasion of Afghanistan, which al-Qaeda used as a base under the rule of the Taliban.[8][9] The building was reportedly owned by a top aide to Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani, and located in Sherpur, a neighborhood in downtown Kabul.[3] The Hellfire variant is widely considered to have been the R9X, often called the "Ninja bomb" and the "Flying Ginsu" due to its usage of pop-out blades in the warhead instead of explosives.[26] In a televised address, President Biden stated that "justice [had] been delivered", citing al-Zawahiri's involvement in the September 11 attacks as a justification for the strike.He also affirmed that American forces would find and eliminate anyone who was a threat to the U.S.[27] The Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the Taliban of "grossly violating" the withdrawal agreement by giving refuge to al-Zawahiri.[28] National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby warned the Taliban to abide by the agreement if it wanted international recognition and financing.[24] Former president Barack Obama applauded the killing on Twitter, proclaiming that "tonight’s news is also proof that it’s possible to root out terrorism without being at war in Afghanistan.Zabiullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson of the Taliban, assured that Afghanistan would not become a refuge for terrorism against any country and insisted that the organization would honor the withdrawal agreement, while warning the U.S. to stop violating it.[39] The strike was criticized by conservative columnist Marc Thiessen for being conducted remotely, in comparison to the action by US Navy SEALs that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
War on terrorAfghan conflictPresidentJoe BidenCoordinatesDrone strikeCentral Intelligence AgencySpecial Activities CenterAyman al-ZawahiriSalafi jihadistal-QaedaAfghanistanSeptember 11 attacksUnited StatesOsama bin Ladenkilled by U.S. forces in PakistanHellfire missilesWar in Afghanistanagreement for the withdrawal of American forces from the countryTalibanHaqqani networkFall of Kabul (2021)George W. BushFederal Bureau of InvestigationMost Wanted TerroristsBarack ObamaDonald Trumpinvasionrule of the TalibankilledAmerican raidAbbottabadPakistanAmerican forcesgreen screenvideo messagesDurand Line20 years of warU.S. governmentwithdrawal agreementmajor insurgent offensiveThe New York TimesU.S. Intelligence Communitysafe houseSirajuddin HaqqaniJonathan FinerElizabeth Sherwood-RandallHomeland Security AdvisorJake SullivanNational Geospatial-Intelligence Agencyscale modelDirector of the Central Intelligence AgencyWilliam J. BurnsDirector of National IntelligenceAvril HainesNational Counterterrorism CenterChristine AbizaidMark Frerichslocal timeAGM-114 Hellfirekinetic energycollateral damageTaliban governmentDavid CohenAbdul Haq Wasiqal-Qaeda in the Indian SubcontinentTehrik-e-Taliban PakistanJama'at Nusrat al-Islam al-Musliminal-Shabaabal-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebSaif al-AdelPresident Bidentargeted killingSecretary of StateAntony BlinkenNational Security CouncilJohn KirbyState DepartmentDemocratic PartyHouse SpeakerNancy PelosiSenate Majority LeaderChuck SchumerRepublican PartyMarco RubioJoni ErnstMitch McConnellSuhail ShaheenZabiullah MujahidPrime Minister of AustraliaAnthony AlbanesePrime Minister of CanadaJustin TrudeauSaudi Arabia's foreign ministryChina's Ministry of Foreign AffairsAlfred Deakin InstituteDeakin UniversitySky News AustraliaMarc ThiessenUS Navy SEALskilled Osama bin Ladenfall of AfghanistanInternational lawTagesschauRobert ChesneyDeath of Abu Bakr al-BaghdadiAbu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-QurashiIslamic StateConstable, PamelaTwitterLeadershipAbd al-Rahman al-MaghribiSa'ad bin Atef al-AwlakiAhmad UmarIyad Ag GhalyEzedin Abdel Aziz KhalilAbu Ubaidah Youssef al-AnnabiAli Sayyid Muhamed Mustafa al-BakriIbrahim al-BannaIbrahim al QosiAbu Walid al-MasriMohammed Showqi Al-IslambouliAbdukadir Mohamed AbdukadirFuad QalafJehad MostafaAbu Humam al-Shami