Comment News that Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaida, was killed in Kabul in a CIA drone strike over the weekend prompted celebrations from Democrats and Republicans in the United States as well as some foreign governments. President Biden announced the death of one of the world’s most wanted terrorists in a televised address Monday from the White House balcony, recalling President Barack Obama’s speech in 2011 when US forces killed Osama bin Laden in a raid on al – Al Qaeda founder group in Pakistan. Zawahiri’s killing in Afghanistan is seen as a political victory for the Biden administration nearly a year after the heavily criticized US withdrawal from the country, which left it under the control of the Taliban and sparked fears that al Qaeda could reassert itself there . Obama called the news “proof that it is possible to root out terrorism without going to war in Afghanistan,” adding that he hoped Zawahiri’s death would offer “a small measure of peace to the families of 9/11 and to all those who have suffers from hands. of al-Qaeda”. The Taliban government “strongly condemned the attack,” chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, calling the attack a violation of international norms and the accord signed in Doha, Qatar by the United States and the Taliban in 2020. But a senior Biden administration official said the al Qaeda leader’s presence in Kabul was a violation of the Doha agreement and that senior members of the Taliban’s Haqqani faction knew Zawahiri was living in the Afghan capital and took steps after the strike to hide his presence. Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists and the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, was killed in a US drone strike on July 30. (Video: The Washington Post) Messages of support poured in from lawmakers shortly after Biden’s speech. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Biden “for his strong leadership,” while Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) called the mission “a significant accomplishment” that brought justice to one of the people “who helped orchestrate the cold-blooded murder of thousands of my fellow New Yorkers on 9/11.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in a statement posted on Twitter Monday night, similarly credited Biden for approving the drone operation, saying “the world is a better, safer place” without him. Zawahiri. But McConnell urged the administration to develop a comprehensive security plan in Afghanistan in light of the fact that Zawahiri appeared to be living in downtown Kabul. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, wrote on social media that Zawahiri was “a monster responsible for the deaths of thousands around the world.” Two Senate Republicans — Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Marco Rubio (Florida) — also issued statements late Monday praising the U.S. military and intelligence community for taking out the terrorist leader. Who was Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of al-Qaeda and successor to Osama bin Laden? But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has promoted conspiracy theories, including one suggesting 9/11 was a hoax, criticized Biden for trying to “act tough on TV.” Green tweeted that while Zawahiri was planning 9/11 and the Cole destroyer bombing in 2000, “no one in America has been sweating an al Qaeda attack lately or heard anything about it.” The 9/11 group Families United issued a statement expressing gratitude to US intelligence and the military for the “sacrifices made to remove such evil from our lives.” But the news is also a reminder, said Chairman Terry Strada, that for full accountability, “President Biden must also hold the Saudi paymasters accountable for killing our loved ones,” referring to allegations that Saudi Arabian government agents provided support in the 9/11 plot. Saudi authorities have repeatedly denied such a connection. The 9/11 Commission noted in 2004 that it found no evidence that “the government of Saudi Arabia as an institution or senior officials of the government of Saudi Arabia funded al-Qaeda.” After Biden’s speech, Saudi Arabia immediately issued a statement hailing the death of Zawahiri, who it said “led the planning and execution of heinous terrorist operations” that killed innocent people, including Saudi citizens. The Gulf kingdom has been the target of al-Qaeda bombings since 9/11, most notably a 2003 attack on its capital, Riyadh, that killed 11 people and injured more than 120. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a close U.S. ally, later called Zawahiri’s death “a step toward a safer world,” while his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, said he hoped the victims’ relatives would “find some comfort” in death of Zawahiri. . Ellen Francis contributed to this report.
