Bin Laden with Zawahiri, left, in a 2002 image from Al Jazeera. They later 'parted ways,' one Pakistani said.
Posted on 05/06/2011 7:11:14 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Osama bin Laden and the deputy leader of al Qaeda "parted ways" six years ago, a senior Pakistani intelligence official said Thursday.
The official said bin Laden had been "marginalized" by his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who helped bin Laden found al Qaeda in 1988 and led its operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He added that bin Laden had been sidelined because he no longer had the funds to support al Qaeda operations and that his popularity in the network was slipping. "They had parted ways some six years ago," he said.
Portraying bin Laden as sidelined within al Qaeda could help Pakistan's reputation in the aftermath of his death by implying that he had little to do with al Qaeda or its recent attacks—suggesting that Pakistan's failure to find him wasn't such a significant lapse. Pakistani officials have expressed embarrassment that the U.S. found bin Laden in Pakistan and are probing the intelligence failure.
U.S. officials say they have not heard of a split between the two men.
"Parted ways? I don't think so," said one U.S. counterterrorism official. "I have not seen anything like that" in intelligence reports.
Another U.S. official familiar with the intelligence said there was strong evidence, however, to support the contention that bin Laden had money problems. "We do know funding has been an issue," the official said.
Mr. Zawahiri has long been viewed as al Qaeda's chief ideologue and operational commander, with bin Laden seen as the mastermind and inspiration of the organization with a much less active day-to-day role.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Bin Laden was basically ‘retired’ from regular activities. This seems clear from events, and the fact that he was essentially hidden in a bedroom for six years. He probably still had a hand in things, but in no way as a leader. As the financier, they probably were still using his money to fund the network, and not much else.
With his billions frozen and inaccessible, of what use was Osama to Al Queda? The group was founded by Zawahiri, but Bin Laden’s cash funded the camps, weapons, materials and travel expenses. He that pays the money calls the tune, and Osama was broke.
So when do we double tap the new number 1?
When I think 'credibility' in the war on terror - I think senior Pakistani intelligence official. Really.
As soon as we force zer0 into it again.
Bingo! You are right on target. Anyone who trusts any Packy pseudo intel people, has rocks and moss for brains.
This is probably a Packy cover to protect Zawahiri, who has been living in Packyland for 6 years and paying a lot of protection money!
“a senior Pakistani intelligence official said Thursday
When I think ‘credibility’ in the war on terror - I think senior Pakistani intelligence official. Really.”
Al Qaeda was founded by Bin Laden at Khost, Afghanistan in August 1988. He funded the operation, including an Islamist training site at Murdike in Pakistan. When he moved to the Sudan he was followed shortly afterward by Zawahiri, who was broke and went on the Sudan intelligence operation payroll. His Egypt Islamic Jihad was always run on a shoestring.
Bin Laden helped fund Zawahiri until the latter moved some of his operation to the Balkans in the mid-nineties. In sum, Zawahiri has always lived off others. And for years received the benefits of friendship with Bin Laden. In 1998 he rejoined Bin Laden in Afghanistan, and at that time was once again nearly out of funds.
I don’t doubt that Bin Laden has been sidelined at least for the last six years, but Zawahiri’s leadership role is as much due to his relationship with Bin Laden as from his own history as a terrorist.
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