US Removes 'Bin Laden Successor' Al-Zawahiri in Drone Strike... "Will Hunt Terrorists to the End" (Comprehensive)

9/11 Terror Mastermind... Billions in Bounties
Biden Delivers National Address Despite COVID-19 Infection

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden announced in a direct address to the nation that the leader of the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks, was successfully eliminated in Afghanistan. This is regarded as a significant achievement for the Biden administration, which had been engulfed in concerns over various terrorist threats and criticism as the first anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan approaches.

On the 1st (local time), President Biden stated in a national address held at the White House, "We have confirmed the killing of al-Zawahiri, one of the masterminds behind the 9/11 attacks," adding, "Afghanistan will never again be a safe haven for terrorists."

President Biden emphasized, "Al-Zawahiri was eliminated on the 30th of last month in Afghanistan through a drone strike," and said, "No matter how long it takes or wherever they hide, if they pose a threat to our people, the U.S. government will find and eliminate them."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Al-Zawahiri was a senior member of al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization that led the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and took over as its leader after Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, died. He was known as a key planner and organizer of the 9/11 attacks, responsible for the planning, tactics, and organizational structure. The FBI had placed him as a top priority on their wanted list with a $25 million (approximately 3.27 billion KRW) reward for information leading to his capture.

The operation to eliminate him was led by the CIA, which tracked his whereabouts for six months and confirmed that he was staying in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. According to CNN, the CIA attacked the house where he was staying with a missile launched from a drone, killing him without causing any civilian casualties.

This successful operation is particularly highlighted as a major achievement for the Biden administration, which has faced domestic and international criticism since the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan last year. President Biden attached great significance to the event, going so far as to deliver the national address despite being in isolation due to reinfection with COVID-19. The Associated Press reported, "This marks an important victory in the war on terror just 11 months after U.S. troops left Afghanistan."