WH confirms death of al-Qaeda's number-2, al-Libbi

The White House spokesman, Jay Carney, speaking at a briefing Tuesday, confirmed media reports about killing of al-Libbi in a drone strike in Pakistans tribal area of North Waziristan a day ago. Our intelligence community has intelligence that leads them to believe that al-Qaidas number-2 leader, Abu Yahya Al-Libbi is dead. I cant get into details about how his death was brought about, but I can tell you that he was al-Qaedas general manager, responsible for overseeing the groups day-to-day operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan and he managed outreach to al-Qaedas regional affiliates, he informed.Jay Carney termed the death of al-Libbi a great loss for al-Qaeda. His death is part of the degradation that is taking place to core al-Qaeda during the several years, and that degradation has depleted the ranks to such an extent that there is now no clear successor to take on the breath of his responsibilities, and that puts additional pressure on al-Qaedas post bin Laden leader, al-Zawahiri to try to manage the group in an effective way, he remarked.He observed that taking out al-Libbi would further weaken al-Qaeda. This would be a major blow, we believe, al-Libbis death is a major blow to core al-Qaeda, removing the number-2 leader for the second time in less than a year, and further damaging the groups morale, cohesion and further bringing it closer to its ultimate demise than ever before, he stated.The spokesman, though, refused to confirm that al-Libbi was killed in the drone strike in Pakistan. What I can tell you is that our government is able to confirm al-Libbis death. I dont have anything for you on the circumstances of his death or the location. I can simply say that he was the number-2 leader in al-Qaeda, he contented.This is the second time in a year that the number-2 leader of al-Qaeda has been removed from the battlefield that represents, in the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden, another serious blow to the core al-Qaeda and what is an ongoing effort to disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat a foe that brought great terror and death to the United States on September 11, 2001 and its perpetrated acts of terrorism against innocent civilians around the globe, he mentioned.When asked to comment on the significance of al-Libbi in al-Qaedas hierarchy, Carney said he was very much an operational leader and manager of al-Qaeda with a range of experience that is hard to replicate. I think it is a job that is hard to fill and there may not be, given the duration of weight of the people who have held that job, a lot of candidates hoping to fill.So the point is that removing leaders like al-Libbi from the very top of al-Qaeda is part of the ongoing effort to disrupt and dismantle and ultimately defeat al-Qaeda and that is an important piece of business, the WH official said while declining to comment further on specific questions regarding the impact of such a strike in Pakistani territory on the already tense bilateral relations between both countries.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC