KABUL (Realist English). President Joe Biden announced Monday that al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, an operation he hailed as delivering “justice”.
“He will never again, never again, allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist safe haven because he is gone and we’re going to make sure that nothing else happens. This terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said.
Biden said that members of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s family were not injured during the liquidation, although the murder took place almost before their eyes — in the same residential building. Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed on the balcony of a “safe house” in Kabul.
“This the time of ISIS.* The death of Ayman al-Zawahiri will inevitably weaken the positions of Al-Qaeda, * at least for a while. Which the Afghan branch of ISIS* — “Vilayat Khorasan” will certainly use.* Against the background of the loss of Al-Qaeda’s* leader and the inevitable reputational costs of the Taliban* in the jihadist community associated with the death of al-Zawahiri, ISIS* now has a good chance to seize the initiative and strengthen its positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in the future in other countries of the region.
Al-Qaeda* has always considered America as its priority target. ISIS* is more interested in the countries of the region — Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia. The destruction of al-Zawahiri is a gesture that works for the security of the United States and, at the same time, objectively strengthens the terrorist force aimed against the countries of the region. As they say, nothing personal, just business,” says Andrey Serenko, head of the Center for the Study of Afghan Politics.
Ayman al-Zawahiri is considered to be involved in the attack on the United States in September 2001, when almost 3 thousand people were killed. Zawahiri, who recently turned 71, was Osama bin Laden’s personal physician and, after his death, headed a terrorist group. A reward of $25 million was announced for his capture. US officials have stated that members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group* are capable of strengthening themselves in Afghanistan in a couple of years and again pose a threat to US territory.
* an organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation
