WASHINGTON, Aug 1: Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri was killed by US missiles
in Kabul on Sunday. Bin Laden's strategist in the 9/11 terror attacks in the
US in 2001, Zawahiri (71) was eliminated in a successful air strike on Sunday
(Kabul time), President Joe Biden announced Monday evening (US time). The Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) carried out the operation outside Kabul.
“Zawahiri carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens.
Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden
said. "On Saturday (Sunday in Kabul), at my direction, the United States successfully
conducted an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed the emir of al-Qa’ida:
Ayman al-Zawahiri. Justice has been delivered," the POTUS post on Twitter said.
Zawahiri was standing on the balcony of a safe house when a drone fired two
Hellfire missiles targeted at him. Zawahiri’s other family members were present
but only the terror mastermind was killed in the mission.
Biden said he gave his go-ahead to the operation on July 25.
US officials said Zawahiri's presence in the Afghan Capital was a "clear violation"
of a deal the Taliban had signed with the US in Doha in 2020 that paved the
way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Taliban had promised in the deal
not to allow Afghanistan to be used again as a launchpad for terrorism.
He had a $25 million US bounty on his head.
Zawahiri had taken on the mantle of Al Qaeda mastermind Osama Bin Laden after
he was killed by US forces in Abbottabad in Pakistan where he was hiding in
2011. They were wanted by the US in the September 11, 2001 air attacks on the
Pentagon and New York City's landmark World Trade Centre towers which killed
3,000 Americans and other nationals. Zawahiri had been on the run for over two
decades.
The President recalled that Zawahiri was the mastermind of several other terrorist
attacks including the suicide bombing of the USS Cole naval destroyer in Aden
in October 2000 in which 17 US soldiers were killed.
Biden said that he hoped Zawahiri's death would bring "closure" to families
of the 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 attacks.
“No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat
to our people, the United States will find you and take you out. We shall never
waver from defending our nation and its people,” Biden said in his address to
the nation on Monday evening (US time).
Zawahiri joined jihad in Egypt early in life
In reaction to the killing, the Taliban said the US operation was in violation
of international principles. In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
confirmed that a strike took place on Sunday in Kabul.
Zawahiri an eye surgeon, in his early life joined Islamic terror activities
in Egypt. He was arrested at the age of 15 for joining the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
He was an accused in the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat. He was
also behind the massacre of foreign tourists at Luxor in 1997. Later he became
an ideological strategist of the Al Qaeda and Bin Laden's personal doctor as
well. He is said to have planned the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. He
was one of five signatories to Bin Laden's 1998 fatwa calling for attacks against
Americans.
Later Al Qaeda took on a low profile and the Islamic State group began leading
the jihadist movement.
Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson, who opened a new chapter in
space age last month by launching the first manned private flight
to the edge of space, flying in his own spaceplane, has
invited everyone to join his expedition of space travel and
experience the thrill of totally losing your weight (BMI = 0) and enjoy
the mind-blowing sight of the earth's curvatures from the orbit far above: 
Can we ask the vaccinator, "Do you pull back the plunger and
then push the vaccine? Do you Aspirate?" When the vaccination
for covid started there were reports of worrisome incidents of
adverse events post immunisation, the serious complaints being
non-specific blood clots. These related to viral vector vaccines of
human and non-human source: AstraZeneca and Janssen. How
did it happen. There are various views. But here is a suggestion
how simply it can be prevented. 
While the rationalists debunk the episode as a ploy to make up for
the losses in offerings during the corona lockdown, the believers
stick to their claim, they have seen it after all! The claim of
Shankaralinga temple resembles the miracle of Ganesha drinking
milk in Delhi way back in 1995. Although they belong to two
different branches of science. 
A pair of socks gifted to her by her niece displayed on her legs has done
the job for Gumball Poodle. The demand for 'Future is Female' is
skyrocketing indeed. What more could one ask for?
