Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) — the group’s most capable outfit and the one that most threatens the West — has lost its leader, Nasir al-Wuhayshi.
Today is a good day for America. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) — the group’s most capable outfit and the one that most threatens the West — has lost one of its top leaders, Nasir al-Wuhayshi.
In a video statement released today, AQAP announced that al-Wuhayshi had been killed. According to Yemeni officials who spoke to CNN, he was eliminated by a U.S. drone strike last Friday.
As I say, this is good news for America. In terms of both operation and symbolic significance, al-Wuhayshi was profoundly important to al-Qaeda. While there is some disagreement as to whether he was the terror group’s global general manager — responsible for planning and effecting worldwide attacks — or its recognized No. 2 leader (the belief of the British Government), there is no question of al-Wuhayshi’s importance.
Certainly this is al-Qaeda’s most significant leadership loss since the killing of Osama bin Laden.
