Saif al-Adel is expected to act as operational leader until al-Zawahri takes over.
Reuters: updated 5/17/2011
LONDON — A leading specialist on al-Qaida said on Tuesday an Egyptian veteran militant was acting as an interim operational leader pending the expected appointment of deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahri as successor to Osama bin Laden.
Noman Benotman, a former associate of bin Laden and now an analyst with Britain’s Quilliam Foundation think tank, told Reuters Saif al-Adel was operating in effect as interim leader while the organization collected pledges of loyalty to Zawahri.
U.S. prosecutors say Adel is one of al-Qaida’s leading military chiefs, and helped to plan the bomb attacks against the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998 and set up training camps for the organization in Sudan and Afghanistan in the 1990s.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the report, which Benotman said was based on his own contacts in jihadist circles.
“This role that he has assumed is not as overall leader, but he is in charge in operational and military terms,” he said.
“This has happened in response to the impatience displayed by jihadists online who have been extremely worried about the delay in announcing a successor.”
“It is hoped that now they will calm down. It also paves the way for Zawahri to take over,” he said, adding that Adel and Zawahri were close.
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Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 - 6:05 PM
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