Posted on 03/01/2013 8:35:26 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
GAO, Mali (Reuters) - One of al Qaeda's most feared commanders in Africa has been killed by French air strikes in north Mali, sources close to Islamist militants and tribal elders said on Friday, but France said it could not confirm this.
The local sources said Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, blamed for kidnapping at least 20 Western hostages in the Sahara desert in recent years, was among 40 militants killed four days ago in the foothills of the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains.
About 1,200 French troops and 800 Chadian soldiers are hunting down pockets of al Qaeda-linked insurgents in the border region with Algeria after a seven-week French-led ground-and-air operation broke Islamist domination of northern Mali.
Algeria's Ennahar television, which is well connected with Algerian security services, reported Abou Zeid's death on Thursday but French, Malian and Chadian officials did not confirm it.
An Algerian former smuggler turned jihadi, Abou Zeid is regarded as one of the most ruthless operators in al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). He is believed to have executed British hostage Edwin Dyer in 2009 and 78-year-old Frenchman Michel Germaneau in 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at tidewaterreview.com ...
Al Quaeda is like the Hydra of myth.
Cut off one head and two more grow in it’s place.
You have to kill the body.
Nits grow into lice.
As long as there are wealthy Arabs willing to finance al Quaeda, there will be an unlimited supply of foot soldiers willing to take their money. Take out a few of the wealthy money men, and things will calm down real quick.
That is also my belief.
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