www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10842035/

U.S. officials told NBC News on Friday that American airstrikes in Pakistan overnight Thursday were aimed at the No. 2 man in the al-Qaida terror organization — Ayman al-Zawahri.

One official said intelligence indicated a strong possibility that Zawahri was in the Pakistani village at the time of the airstrike, but there is no confirmation that he was killed.

Pakistani officials say U.S. aircraft, apparently CIA Predator drones, fired as many as 10 missiles at the residential compound.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Reports indicate as many as 30 villagers, including some women and children, were killed.

The attack came in the Bajur region of Northwest Pakistan, along the Afghanistan border.

The CIA Predators carry as many as four Hellfire missiles. Only last month, the CIA used a Predator to kill the No. 3 man in al-Qaida in a similar Hellfire strike in Pakistan.

 Related content

Who is Ayman al-Zawahri?

Killing Zawahri would be a major psychological victory for the United States in its war on terrorism. Zawahri, not Osama bin Laden, has emerged recently as the chief operator for al-Qaida.

While some remains were reportedly recovered from the site of the attack, there was still no confirmation Friday night that Zawahri was among the dead. An intelligence official told NBC that it does have a sample of Zawahri's DNA.

“Anyone who tells you there is clarity on whether he [Zawahri] was killed ... do not take what they are saying as gospel,” a senior U.S. official said.

Let's hope so.

Quoted: Let's hope so.

be real good news for bush and bad news or the dems. and the first good news of 2006.

allah ackbar!

Another Number Two gets flushed down the toilet!

How can they verify?

Quoted: Another Number Two gets flushed down the toilet!

Quoted: How can they verify?

since 1994 their was this thing they called dna that is how.

So what?  They'll just get another one.  

Quoted: So what?  They'll just get another one.

you must not understand politics that much do you if it is who they say it is this will be a major blow to the dems who said we our fighting the war on terror for the wrong reasons.


the only bad thing i see is if bin laden was else where.

Quoted: So what?  They'll just get another one.

any disruption in their operations is a victory for us.

Fingers crossed

Quoted: So what?  They'll just get another one.

That's why we need to continue the war, and continue killing them.

Do it enough times and people will stop stepping to the plate.  Somebody will be happy with the no. 3 slot and no. 2 will be blank.

"Irene". I say again, "irene".

Quoted: Quoted: How can they verify? since 1994 their was this thing they called dna that is how.

You mean that his name is written on his DNA?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: How can they verify? since 1994 their was this thing they called dna that is how. You mean that his name is written on his DNA?

no but think about it he has family somewhere the us probably knows where that family is so it will be pretty simple to do a dna test.

n/m

Why didn't they just arrest him when they got a sample of his DNA

I'll believe it when I see proof. Even if they got him; like was said earlier "they'll just get another one".

n/m was thinking of zaqari.

You breaking news broke hours ago http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=427342