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Al-Qaida's third-in-command, whose role spanned from operations to fundraising, is believed to have been killed earlier this month in a United States missile strike in the tribal areas of Pakistan, officials said on Monday.
The CIA has stepped up the pace of unmanned drone strikes in the tribal zone bordering Afghanistan, targeting not only high-level al-Qaida and Taliban targets but largely unknown foot soldiers as well.
"In terms of counterterrorism, this would be a big victory," a US official said of the death of Sheikh Said al-Masri, also known as Mustafa Abu al-Yazid. Al-Masri was widely seen as al-Qaida's No. 3 figure and its main conduit to leader Osama bin Laden.
As al-Qaida's chief operating officer, he had a hand in everything from finances to operational planning, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Earlier on Monday, al-Qaida announced al-Masri's death in an Internet posting, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist websites.
In addition to al-Masri, the announcement said that his wife, three of his daughters, his granddaughter and other men, women and children were killed.
SITE said al-Masri, an Egyptian, served as the general head of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, and that his last known public statement, dated May 4, eulogized the deaths of top militants in Iraq.
CIA Director Leon Panetta has asserted that attacks against al-Qaida in Pakistan's tribal regions appear to have driven bin Laden and other leaders deeper into hiding, leaving the organization incapable of planning sophisticated operations.
But the White House warned last week of a dangerous "new phase" in the terrorism threat, citing the failed Christmas Day bombing of a US airliner and the botched Times Square car bomb attempt earlier this month.
Questions:
1. What is the name of the man killed?
2. Where did the attack take place?
3. What is the name of the CIA director?
Answers:
1. Sheikh Said al-Masri.
2. tribal areas of Pakistan.
3. Leon Panetta.
（中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Helen 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.
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