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| With Osama bin Laden dead, who’ll take over al-Qaida- and who could be plotting the next attack? From natural successor Ayman al-Zawahri to the Zelig-like Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and American Adam Gadah, take a look at the world's new top terrorists. (AP Photo) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| With Osama bin Laden dead, who’ll take over al-Qaida- and who could be plotting the next attack? From natural successor Ayman al-Zawahri to the Zelig-like Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and American Adam Gadah, take a look at the world's new top terrorists. (AP Photo) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| Gadahn has "no operational skills" and is "basically just a big mouth," says Hoffman. And yet this 32-year-old American, who was born in Oregon and relocated to Pakistan in the late 1990s, is notable for having been indicted for "treason and material support to al-Qaida," according to the FBI. And while Gadahn might not be a key soldier, "he's the American face of al-Qaida," Hoffman says, and is good for propaganda. "When we look at him we just see a mixed-up kid who gravitated towards terrorism," Hoffman notes, and yet he still "brings knowledge of us into al-Qaida's inner circle" which has value. In a photo gallery that appeared on Newsweek.com, Gadahn was described as "the Benedict Arnold of the 21st century." (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| A close confidant of Osama bin Laden, Ilyas Kashmiri is a rising star in the terror world. Born in the Pakistan-controlled area of Kashmir, the 46-year-old former Pakistani army officer is a veteran of several wars, having fought the Russians in Afghanistan, the Indians in Pakistan, and the Pakistani government—the last after his relationship with it went sour. He's also believed to have planned attacks around the world, including in the United States and Western Europe, and is a powerhouse recruiter of Western European jihadists. Kashmiri has displayed an uncanny knack for escaping assassination attempts, and in October 2010, Newsweek called him "The New Bin Laden." "This guy ties everybody together," a veteran U.S. intelligence officer said at the time. According to Hoffman, he lost an eye after a "bomb blew up in his face." His relationship with al-Qaida was cemented in 2008-09. (Image: Saeed Khan, AFP / Getty Images) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| Comoros-born Fazul Abdullah Mohammed is a Zelig-like figure in the terror world. He was present during the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia in 1993 but became one of the world's most wanted terrorists for his role in the 1998 African embassy bombings, for which he's been indicted. Later, he played a key role in the Somali civil war and reportedly narrowly escaped an attempt on his life by a U.S. gunship. He's now believed to be al-Qaida's top commander in East Africa, with strong connections to the Islamist Shabaab militia. Mohammed is said to be fond of baseball caps and skilled with computers. (AP Photo) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait was a turning point for Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, as it was for Osama bin Laden. The Kuwaiti-born preacher delivered fiery sermons during the first Gulf War but was banned from preaching after its conclusion because of his criticism of the government. In 2000 he headed to Afghanistan and joined al-Qaida, becoming a chief spokesman. After the Sept. 11 attacks, he said, "The Americans should know that the storm of plane attacks will not abate. There are thousands of the Islamic nation's youths who are eager to die just as the Americans are eager to live." Around the same time, he was stripped of his Kuwaiti citizenship. In 2005 he was reported to be living in Iran. Hoffman estimates that today Abu Ghaith could be in Pakistan. (Image: Time Life / Getty Images) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| Born in 1975 in Saudi Arabia, Adnan El Shukrijumah is an American citizen who has lived in New York and Florida. In 2010, he was linked to an attempted plot to attack the New York City subway system. According to the FBI, "He has a pronounced nose and is asthmatic." A pilot who has excellent knowledge of the U.S., Shukrijumah "knows our society and may well know our vulnerabilities and pressure points," says Hoffman. Like the three other Qaeda top officers, Shukrijumah is probably in Pakistan. (AP Photo/FBI) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| The No. 3 man in al-Qaida is Saif al-Adel, who was born in Egypt in 1960 or 1963. He's on the FBI's terrorist list, wanted in connection to the bombings of American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1988. In 2003, he was detained in Iran, and he later reappeared on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Today this top Qaeda officer is a specialist in "operational planning and implementation," says Hoffman. A former member of the Egyptian army special forces, Adel "is a warrior," Hoffman says. He's likely to become al-Qaida's chief of operations. His military background "makes him particularly dangerous," Hoffman adds, since he "knows regular and irregular warfare inside out." (AP Photo) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| Libyan-born Abu Yahya al-Libi is now in a good position to become al-Qaida's No. 2. He's known for his 2002 capture by American forces in Afghanistan and detention at Bagram Air Base—and subsequent escape in 2005. The U.S. State Department has described Libi as "a key motivator in the global jihadi movement" and notes that since he sprung himself out of jail, he's "appeared in a number of propaganda videos" for the terrorist organization. As Hoffman describes it, if Zawahri is in charge of al-Qaida's strategy, then Libi could be seen as the organization's "chief ideologue." (Reuters) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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| Is Ayman al-Zawahri al-Qaida's next leader, now that bin Laden has been killed? Many think so. A doctor who was born into a rich Cairo family, he has been bin Laden's No. 2 in the terrorist organization. "U.S. intelligence agencies believe Zawahri functions as al-Qaida's most important ideological leader, and perhaps also the main operational leader of the network's activities," the Council on Foreign Relations has written. It's believed that Zawahri is now in Pakistan. "He has long been al-Qaida's chief strategist as well; he's a natural successor" to bin Laden, says Hoffman. (AP Photo/IntelCenter, File) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast |
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