BRACED FOR US execution of Taliban terror lord could spark global threat Fears Zawahiri could be replaced by more bloodthirsty leader
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And many fear the Egyptian surgeon and former sidekick to Osama bin Laden will be replaced by a more bloodthirsty leader.
Zawahiri was killed in Kabul on Sunday at 6.18am local time. It is now believed the US used the R9X, which springs out blades 2,000ft from its target to slice them apart but minimise other casualties, fired from a Predator drone.
Blades
Sources said British GCHQ experts may have played a key role in tracing phone calls via a satellite snooping system.
Prof Peter Lee, a drone expert and former RAF serviceman, said: “If they used the R9X it will have been the blades, not the explosion that killed him.
“It is interesting the Americans say they minimised collateral damage, which usually they do not do. That’s why the R9X was likely used.”
Experts say Zawahiri’s
BIN Laden and his friend Zawahiri were close from the mid 80s, fought in Afghanistan together and had similar privileged backgrounds. ‘Dr Death’ was bin Laden’s mentor for many years.
Location where Zawahiri was hit. The US claim no-one else was injured but it is believed two relatives were killed, both thought to be members of the Taliban.
presence in Kabul demonstrates Al Qaeda is still a huge danger to the West.
After the September 11 attacks,
coalition forces toppled the Taliban to stop Afghanistan becoming a safe haven.
Col Richard Kemp, the former British commander in Afghanistan, said: “The withdrawal from Afghanistan last year was always going to allow the Taliban and Al Qaeda to solidify their relationship.
The fact Zawahiri was in Kabul shows this was the case.
“Pretty much the entire argument for going into Afghanistan was to deny groups like Al Qaeda freedom to operate and remove the ability of the Taliban to host them and plot alongside them.”
Zawahiri, who had a €24million