thedrifter
01-15-06, 08:21 AM
U.S. EAGER FOR 'QAEDA' DNA TESTS
By NILES LATHEM
New York Post
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials are still holding out hope they killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, in an airstrike in Pakistan.
Sources say American officials are anxiously awaiting DNA test results to determine if the Friday strike killed the Egyptian doctor, al Qaeda's second-in-command.
Tissue samples taken from people killed in the strike are being flown to Quantico, Va., where the FBI will test them, sources say.
But Pakistani officials yesterday angrily condemned the attack, saying Zawahiri wasn't there and "innocent civilians" were among at least 17 men, women and children killed in a village near the Afghan border.
Officials in Washington declined to comment on the record about media reports that CIA-operated drone aircraft fired missiles at a residential compound in Damadola.
But privately, sources say the strike was based on strong intelligence that Zawahiri would be among the guests at a dinner party there, and that he was the primary target.
Sources say Zawahiri has become more visible recently as he's worked to coordinate al Qaeda and Taliban attacks on the Afghani government.
American officials were able to track him to northwest Pakistan, which is known to be a base of operations for both groups.
Zawahiri reportedly has a new wife in the region, sources say.
Survivors in Damadola denied militants were in their hamlet, despite news reports quoting unidentified Pakistani officials as saying up to 11 terrorists were believed among the dead.
In Pakistan's strongest reaction, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed called the attack "highly condemnable."
With Post Wire Services
Ellie
By NILES LATHEM
New York Post
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials are still holding out hope they killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, in an airstrike in Pakistan.
Sources say American officials are anxiously awaiting DNA test results to determine if the Friday strike killed the Egyptian doctor, al Qaeda's second-in-command.
Tissue samples taken from people killed in the strike are being flown to Quantico, Va., where the FBI will test them, sources say.
But Pakistani officials yesterday angrily condemned the attack, saying Zawahiri wasn't there and "innocent civilians" were among at least 17 men, women and children killed in a village near the Afghan border.
Officials in Washington declined to comment on the record about media reports that CIA-operated drone aircraft fired missiles at a residential compound in Damadola.
But privately, sources say the strike was based on strong intelligence that Zawahiri would be among the guests at a dinner party there, and that he was the primary target.
Sources say Zawahiri has become more visible recently as he's worked to coordinate al Qaeda and Taliban attacks on the Afghani government.
American officials were able to track him to northwest Pakistan, which is known to be a base of operations for both groups.
Zawahiri reportedly has a new wife in the region, sources say.
Survivors in Damadola denied militants were in their hamlet, despite news reports quoting unidentified Pakistani officials as saying up to 11 terrorists were believed among the dead.
In Pakistan's strongest reaction, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed called the attack "highly condemnable."
With Post Wire Services
Ellie