Al Qaeda Plotter Reported Killed By U.S.

Source: Rauf Involved In '06 Plot To Blow Up Planes Over Atlantic; 5 Dead In Attack On Pak-Afghan Border

(CBS)  By CBS News' Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad.

---

Rashid Rauf, the man believed to be a key planner in the 2006 plot to blow up airliners flying from London’s Heathrow airport to destinations in the United States and Canada, was killed on Saturday in a U.S. drone attack targeting a remote village in Pakistan’s border region along Afghanistan, a senior Pakistani intelligence official told CBS News.

A second Arab al Qaeda operative, Abu Al-Asr Al Misri, was also killed in the attack, according to the Pakistani official.

Western defense officials in Islamabad responding to the news said, if confirmed, the killing of the two men, especially Rauf, could deal a significant blow to al Qaeda militants who use Pakistan’s border region for refuge, frequently traveling in and out of Afghanistan.

The Pakistani intelligence official, who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, said the drone attack in the north Waziristan region killed a total of five men.

“We have no confirmed information yet on the identity of the other three men. But we have confirmed the death of Rashid Rauf and Al Misri,” the official said.

Rauf, a dual British-Pakistani citizen, was arrested in Pakistan in August 2006 on charges related to the Heathrow airliner plot. While Pakistani officials said at the time they intended to extradite him to Britain, Rauf was kept in the country and interrogated by Pakistan’s security and intelligence officials.

Last December, Rauf mysteriously escaped from a Pakistani jail. The exact circumstances surrounding the escape have never been fully explained. Suspicions that some of the police guarding Rauf helped him escape have not been confirmed, though two policemen were arrested at the time.

A British intelligence source told CBS News that if Rauf is dead, then it would be a "significant blow" to al Qaeda in Pakistan.

"It would appear that Rauf was the link between al Qaeda in Pakistan and affliliated people here in the United Kingdom." The source added that "Rauf could have been the head of all foreign operations for al Qaeda."

According to the same source, if Rauf was targeted by the U.S., then it will present a human rights dilemma for the British government, as Rauf holds both British and Pakistani nationality. Clearly the British government will not welcome the "murder of one of its subjects by another sovereign power."

A western defense official in Islamabad who spoke to CBS News said Rauf’s killing was likely to further embolden the U.S. in using drones, in spite of protests from the Pakistani government.

However, he warned that al Qaeda militants could choose to migrate to some of Pakistan’s bigger cities, in the hope of inviting U.S. attacks there.

“If the militants leave the border region and go to bigger towns, the question will be, how far does the U.S. go after them?” said the defense official. “Ultimately, more U.S. attacks in more prominent areas could jeopardize the U.S.-Pakistan relationship," he added.

[arrestbush1]

They can know when Al Qaeda''s most important is hit but they can''t find Bin Laden. This fairy tale is getting old and can''t even remember how it is to believe this story. It doesn''t even make sense anymore.

[berchesgaden]

George W. Bush and Cheney are war criminals! They should be tried for treason!!!

[evian_ycnan]

Bush once said he was tired of "swatting flies"... he spent his entire 8 years doing so.

[docpeter1953]

arrestbush1,
They should arrest your dumb a$$ for being stupid, you wimp liberals complain when Bush can''''t kill OBL, and then you complain when he does kill someone of importance. What are you going to say when Barry invades Pakistan, DH? Go wave your white flag at the Obama inauguration.

Posted by gunfighter51 at 06:52 AM : Nov 22, 2008
____---------__________


Posted by demswin08 at 07:07 AM : Nov 22, 2008
-----------------------

Unfortunately you are right demswin08. Trying to stop them now is like fighting a Medusa, only here the snakes just grow back. Unfortunately the GOPers can''t seem to get this idea in mind. Each snake head acts independently of as well as in union with the others. With the delay of hunting/finding OBL and starting a second war in Iraq, even if OBL is captured/killed, the USA has only made them stronger and more hate filled; and that is after we spent so much $$ helping them through education here and with $$ to fend off attacks from the USSR. Don''t forget the USA funded OBL during the Afg./USSR conflict. Now the USSR is getting even with us by funding them.

[neoconrcrazy]

i don''t give a hoot what Al-Qeada "operative" has been killed!

i want OBL''s azz dead for the world to see and my government has had eight years to do it and unlimited resources - AND THEY FAILED!

seems either bush&co. is too stupid to get the job done, or they''ve been using his continued existence to run their "global war on terror"...

either way the buck stops at the oval office.

[nwihoosier]

Peace and Love
The Bush years are over and nitwits have nothing else to talk about. Such a poor education. Such a miserable understanding. Poor fellows.
Find a new topic children and play nice.
Peace and Love

[swingset4u]

Well ya know they have already replaced ugly with even uglier.

[downsteamjim]

HETUP UrAs: It must be tough to lose one of your heroes.

[omnibus66]

Let''s see, this makes the 23rd or 24th time that we have killed the number two or number three al Qaeda leader, producing ''significant damage'' to al Qaeda.

By now it seems that someone would have figured out that it takes about two minutes to replace these ''leaders''. This news isn''t a headline. It shouldn''t even be a footnote.

When ALL of the US troops pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan, now that''s a headline worth printing.

[citizenusa-2009]

ominibus66: I''m with you! I so tired of hearing this B.S! Every time a "terrorist" is killed, the news is supposed to "remind" us why our young men and women are being killed and maimed DAILY.

BRING OUR TROOPS HOME and let the "Al Quieda" and all those other "scary threats", fight amongst themselves!

Better yet, why not suit up Bush and Cheney and send them over to FINISH THE JOB THAT THEY STARTED! Smokem Out!!!

[citizenusa-2009]

michael3032: Obviously, you''ve been so preoccupied with your leather chair and your java that you haven''t been paying ATTENTION.

Let me educate you son: After 911, Bin Laden''s quote was "I WILL DESTROY AMERICA FROM THE INSIDE OUT...FINANCIALLY!" Do you remember that? Well, because his good buddy Dubya did the work FOR HIM, Bin Laden DIDN''T have to LIFT A FINGER! Why attack? Look at the stock market pal! Bin Laden is saying (in Arabic of course) MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! Iraq is simply icing on the cake.

[citizenusa-2009]

Oh, by the way, baby Bush did a good job of scaring you enough that you''ll believe ANYTHING he says to justify ILLEGAL WAR.

Wooo, ooooo, "they" are coming to "get us"....wooo oooooo, let''s start ANOTHER ware on SOMEONE ELSE''S SOIL so they won''t "get us" wooooo oooo....you people voted for Bush TWICE cause he scared you!

How pathetic!!

May his ashes end up in a camel bowels.

[promaclaura]

%u201CIf the militants leave the border region and go to bigger towns, the question will be, how far does the U.S. go after them?%u201D said the defense official. %u201CUltimately, more U.S. attacks in more prominent areas could jeopardize the U.S.-Pakistan relationship," he added.

-Pakistan states that it is hard to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the tribal regions. The U.S. should not have to chase them into the cities as well, Pakistan''s intelligence should handle it from there. What will be their excuse when these "terror" groups move back in and they fail to address the issue? Will they fight them in the streets of Pakistan''s cities? Pakistan should feel no love lost in ridding themselves of these evil groups who terrorize the innocent.

[downsteamjim]

I didn''t think vampires could take the sunlight.

[emilymhanson]

Al Qaeda Big? What''s next, headlines with Al Qaeda Small? As in, "American Fighter Jets Bombed Dozens of Al Qaeda Smalls Last Night?" Maybe Al Qaeda Hobbits are in store for us, too? And I suppose they were killed while having Elevenses?

CBS, you don''t need to dumb your article headlines down that far. Stop doing yourself a disservice.

[promaclaura]

Number one on Obama''s'''' list of grievances was that we have permanent military bases on Muslim soil. But instead of listening to the man who actually masterminded the attacks you bought the line from Bush that "they hate our freedom", hook, line and sinker; just like a good guppy.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by curse914 at 10:00 AM : Nov 22, 2008

Well, we did pick up and leave operations in Saudi Arabia, which is what OBL was complaining about. You see, we were in Saudi Arabia running a big prison camp and no-fly zone over Iraq. Over a decade of containing Saddam, while he ruled in black markets and drove his country and people into the ground. We were not in Iraq when OBL''s terror organization hit us on 9/11. Looking at it now, how stupid, we set up "occupying" bases in all the countries around Iraq and disrupted their people rather that just cutting the "cancer" out and leaving. Today, we have done that and are accused of "occupying" Iraq.

[oleander8]

...he looks like he came straight out of a nazi propoganda film used to assist people in identifying Jews.

[gecko40-2009]

the way i figure it...they merely used coordinates for his nose...made an easy target, eh?

[old300d]

The Pakistani P.M. tried to assure and calm the people by telling them that it was Bush that did this and that these bombings would stop when Obama is president.
I saw that on BBC news.

[sine-cera]

seems either bush&co. is too stupid to get the job done, or they''''ve been using his continued existence to run their "global war on terror"...

A few things not to forget;
Who is OBL related to?
Why was there no plane wreckage at the Pentagon?
Who is profiting from this war?
In how many ways has the constitution been violated by the current administration?
How much damage has been done to the constitution by currant administration.

Personally I think the current administration is beyond criminal, Bush & Co. are definitely guilty of war crimes, if not out right treason. I will also be surprised if there is an inauguration come January 20th, and if there is that anyone in the upper echelon of the current administration remains in the country.

[pirmin3]

"the way i figure it...they merely used coordinates for his nose...made an easy target, eh? Posted by gecko40"

That nose is really an eagle beak. He looks like a caricature of an Arab terrorist.

[old300d]

Bob Woodward said we had developed a new weapon system and that it was BIG !

Is this that weapon ? Anyway, nice shooting ! ! !

[mikezembill]

"wow" if we had that nose full of money we could save the world.

[ajmarine111]

What shall I do to stop it?

Someone please give me an answer to my dilemma?
I am present for any suggestions.

Posted by ObamaSPEAKS at 10:25 AM : Nov 22, 2008




Surrender???

Tell the World we are getting out of the Middle East all together and will stop our support of Israel????

Convert to Islam????



Short of doing these things, I don''t know what one can do to answer your question.

[dixxson-2009]

CBS''s Headlins reads better than MSNBC''s,
[SUSPECTED] US missile Kills 5 suspected in Liquid Bomb Plot. From 10,000 miles away, They know how many they killed, Who they Killed, And Exactly what they were
Thinking when they killed them. After knowing all
this they can never figure out for certain, Who fired the missile. It is always a "SUSPECTED US missile!
MSNBC went back and changed their Heading, This Time.
Maybe they suddenly realized, that there is a new President and that this kind of "BIASED" reporting is
just plain ridicolous!

[godofredo29]

You know. If you really wanted to find these individuals, like Osama Bin Ladin, you''d just get a librarian to do it.

[ajmarine111]

I am thinking I will sit down with them and offer an olive branch to them.

Posted by ObamaSPEAKS at 10:52 AM : Nov 22, 2008




Just supposing that you do find some "moderate" Al Qaida and Taliban to "sit down with",.....what words will you have to go along with your olive branch, other than the ones I have stated, to bring about peace?

These people want us dead.

[rangerdahl]

pythoncharly: Let''s hope the mmilitary drops a bomb on you. I would gladly take up a collection to buy it. Some folks (like that piece of shiite Muslim douchb@g in the story) deserve to die.

[rangerdahl]

pythoncharly: You are an idot and a waste of flesh. I hope you haven''t and never will reproduce. Your seed needs to go away when your eggs dry up.

[credibility2]

Good, one less infidel to worry about targeting innocent people all in the name of their Allah.

[downsteamjim]

HETUP: The twin towers were blown up by JFK and Elvis to make way for a monument to these two unsung American heroes. I realize this post makes no sense, just like yours.

[ajmarine111]

Posted by AJMarine111 at 11:01 AM : Nov 22, 2008

Come on now lets just think about peace and love and such. I am only concerned with things that look good?
I am not concerned about peoples underlining intentions of -Lets get the great satan-.


Posted by ObamaSPEAKS at 11:07 AM : Nov 22, 2008



And in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow,..."I just close my eyes and pretend that it''s all a bad dream. Works for me".

[downsteamjim]

To AJMarine: A moderate Taliban doesn''t want to blow you up, he just wants to chop off your head.

[ajmarine111]

HETUP: The twin towers were blown up by JFK and Elvis to make way for a monument to these two unsung American heroes. I realize this post makes no sense, just like yours.


Posted by downsteamjim at 11:08 AM : Nov 22, 2008




Actually,...........your''s make more sense than his/hers does.

[ajmarine111]

To AJMarine: A moderate Taliban doesn''''t want to blow you up, he just wants to chop off your head.


Posted by downsteamjim at 11:11 AM : Nov 22, 2008



Thanks for clearing that up.

That''s a question that''s been bothering me for a while.

[downsteamjim]

pythoncharly six out of control: Prepare to be beamed back to the mothership.

[violist47]

Al Qaeda Big? What''''s next, headlines with Al Qaeda Small? As in, "American Fighter Jets Bombed Dozens of Al Qaeda Smalls Last Night?" Maybe Al Qaeda Hobbits are in store for us, too? And I suppose they were killed while having Elevenses?

CBS, you don''''t need to dumb your article headlines down that far. Stop doing yourself a disservice.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by emilymhanson at 10:00 AM : Nov 22, 2008

Well put, emilyhanson. Especially since those "smalls" we''ve been killing are actual, real people, too, and most of them are innocent civilians

[firehose12]

Keep the attack on.

Let it be a lesson that America will hunt you down.

There is no such thing as a moderate Taliban - to whichever fool suggested that.

[kk217]

pythoncharly...

Not sure what country or planet you''re from but HOW in HELL can you even remotely defend islamist radicals?!!!
How many have they killed? Oh wait...they did it in the name of God...I guess it''s ok then. Pardon me little brain fade there. If the cowards in islam wouldn''t hide among innocent people and not even allow them to leave the area, then you are blaming the wrong people! You speak of innocent people...What planet HAVE you been living on?!!

[ajmarine111]

There is no such thing as a moderate Taliban - to whichever fool suggested that.


Posted by firehose12 at 11:33 AM : Nov 22, 2008



It was meant as sarcasm.

[devilspeaks]

now his wish is come true, the 72 guys virgin are waiting for him just hope he never drop the soap...

Posted by demdump at 11:30 AM : Nov 22, 2008

Nope?
Now he is down here with me separated from the love of God through Jesus Christ because of his decision of just wanting SELF.

[devilspeaks]

now his wish is come true, the 72 guys virgin are waiting for him just hope he never drop the soap...

Posted by demdump at 11:30 AM : Nov 22, 2008
He is in darkness until that great day that he and even I will have to bow before Jesus Christ!

[mrvolleyba11]

pythoncharly you are the brainwashed one. As somebody in the military I know who exactly we are bombing in iraq, worthless scum of the earth who if given the chance will kill anybody (civilians, children, military, etc, etc) anywhere for any reason.

How many prisoners do they have? NONE because they kill everybody they take or survived their cowardly (hiding behind the bushes) attacks. They are uneducated which makes them easily brainwashed and eager to become suicide machines. why don''t we see any of the leaders of these groups being suicide bombers? because they ain''t THAT stupid, let the idiot uneducated poor die!

They are not soldiers of any countries governement and as such not subject to the geneva convention. they take refuge in schools, hospitals, religious buildings and then cry to the world about geneva convention rights when attacked. They purposely expose women and children to attack just for the publicity so they can recruit more idiots to die for their radical causes.

Kill''em all by any means and in any location they hide because that is what THEY would do (and have stated to their follwers to do).

[mrvolleyba11]

if 911 never happened does anybody think we''d be in Iraq & Afganistan right now? I don''t think so!

so ALL death''s in Iraq, Afganistan, or Pakistan by the military are the direct result of the muslim world (i.e. Al Qaeda), so blame it all on them!!!

[ioweign]

Rashid Rauf - proves Woody WoodPecker had a sexxual relationship with a human...

[inventagod2]

Think about this.

Bu$hCo has LIED about EVERYTHING.

This story is probably Bu$hit.

Just another story to keep you from thinking about the REAL 9/11 attackers... The Pentagoons.

[titletrack]

Think about this.

Bu$hCo has LIED about EVERYTHING.

This story is probably Bu$hit.

Just another story to keep you from thinking about the REAL 9/11 attackers... The Pentagoons.

Posted by inventagod2 at 12:10 PM : Nov 22, 2008

No kidding...and Obama is the same as Bush. He wants to escalate the war in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Obama the warmonger

[neoconrcrazy]

ths guy looks amazing similar to younger photo of paul wolfowitz! maybe a relative, the semetic family is quite large....

[titletrack]

Are we on the same planet is the question.

Posted by HETUP at 12:25 PM : Nov 22, 2008

I am from Omicron Persei 8. How about you?