U.S. drone strike kills second leader of al-Qaeda

A Central Intelligence Agency drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal center killed the second leader of al-Qaeda, Abu Yahya al-Libi, American officials reported on Tuesday, handing another blow to the Taliban in a lawless area that has long been considered the global headquarters of international terrorism. Libi’s death is reportedly another dramatic moment in the American war in Pakistan, which has been mainly active over the past year, beginning with the execution of the Taliban’s founder, Osama bin Laden, on May 2 2011. This was then followed by drone strikes against several senior al-Qaeda lieutenants.

Libi, who had a $1 million bounty against him, was a virtual ambassador for global jihad. He was an Islamic scholar by training and used frequent video appearances to elaborate world events, reprimand critics, and boast about his escape from an American military prison in Afghanistan in 2005.