Khalid Habib
Encyclopedia
Khalid Habib (died October 16, 2008) was an ascending member of al-Qaeda
's central structure in Pakistan
and Afghanistan
. His nationality has been reported as Egyptian (by CBS News) and as Moroccan (by The New York Times).
Habib was the operations commander for the region. He is one of several al-Qaeda members who are more battle-hardened by combat experience in Iraq
, Chechnya
, and elsewhere. This experience has rendered them more capable than their predecessors. According to The New York Times
, this cadre is more radical than the previous generation of al-Qaeda leadership. The FBI has described Habib as "one of the five or six most capable, most experienced terrorists in the world.
In 2008, Habib relocated from Wana to Taparghai, Pakistan to avoid missile strikes launched from US-operated MQ-1 Predator aircraft which targeted al Qaeda and Taliban personnel. Khalid Habib is believed to have been killed by a Predator strike near Taparghai on October 16, 2008. Habib was reportedly sitting in a Toyota station wagon which was struck by the missile. On October 28, militants confirmed to the Asia Times that Habib was killed in the drone attack
.
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
's central structure in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. His nationality has been reported as Egyptian (by CBS News) and as Moroccan (by The New York Times).
Habib was the operations commander for the region. He is one of several al-Qaeda members who are more battle-hardened by combat experience in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
, and elsewhere. This experience has rendered them more capable than their predecessors. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, this cadre is more radical than the previous generation of al-Qaeda leadership. The FBI has described Habib as "one of the five or six most capable, most experienced terrorists in the world.
In 2008, Habib relocated from Wana to Taparghai, Pakistan to avoid missile strikes launched from US-operated MQ-1 Predator aircraft which targeted al Qaeda and Taliban personnel. Khalid Habib is believed to have been killed by a Predator strike near Taparghai on October 16, 2008. Habib was reportedly sitting in a Toyota station wagon which was struck by the missile. On October 28, militants confirmed to the Asia Times that Habib was killed in the drone attack
Drone attacks on Pakistan by the United States of America
The United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones . These attacks are part of the US' War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants...
.