A Small Victory

Chalk up another small victory in the GWOT.  The #2 guy for al-Qaeda in Yemen, Saeed al-Shihri, has apparently died of wounds received in a US missile attack in Yemen in October 2012.  He had been in a coma since.  The precise date of his death was not given.

al-Shihri was a Saudi native.  He spent 6 years at GITMO.  He was released back to Saudi authorities and processed through the Saudi government’s “rehabilitation” program.  Shortly afterward completing that program, he went to Yemen and rejoined al-Qaeda.  He became the al-Qaeda deputy there.

Obviously the “rehabilitation” program didn’t “take”.  Surprise, surprise.

al-Shihri had previously erroneously been reported dead as the result of a September 2012 missile attack (later DNA testing on the body recovered proved it was not al-Shihri).  al-Shihri afterwards taunted Yemeni authorities over that misidentification.  In an audio message posted by jihadi websites on October 22, 2012, he castigated Yemeni authorities for falsely announcing the “rumor about my death … as though the killing of the mujahideen (holy warriors) by America is a victory to Islam and Muslims.”

The strike that led to his death happened six days later.   Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

May Shaytan take him, and may all his 72 virgins look thusly.

Category: Terror War