the planning for that, he was considered the mastermind, the intellect behind al-qaeda and very much involved in some of its most spectacular and audacious terrorist attacks, including 9/11 so innocent that is some sort of a pale and you had that in president biden s remarks. he is a figurehead and leader of the organisation so at least on that level this is at least on that level this is a very big low for an organisation that was back on his heels. it has had a hard time regaining any time of cohesion since 0sama time regaining any time of cohesion since osama bin laden , s cohesion since osama bin laden s death. ayman al zawahiri was leader but was not seen as very effective and certainly not a charismatic leader. it is a blow in the centre they have lost their big man. blow in the centre they have lost their big man. one thing achieved in lost their big man. one thing achieved in recent lost their big man. one thing achieved in recent months, l achieved in recent months, ess
go out to do ambitious things but a new leader may not care. from your position in washington, taking out a senior figure like this, pariah from an american perspective, what does it do forjoe biden? it came at a moment when he is looking to get some wind in his sale. he had a difficult year. the decline in his popularity was centred around the withdrawal of troops in afghanistan and the images we saw on television with people being killed in bombings and adjustment of the but he insisted at the time that the united states to retain the ability to strike a target of importance, terrorist strikes, including in afghanistan without trips on the ground. this is one example where the cia and the american counterterrorism, agencies were able to do just that and so i thinkjoe biden is enjoying a bit of i told you so just now.
anglican community. this is bbc news. i m david eades. the main headlines: president biden has confirmed that a us drone strike has killed the al-qaeda leader ayman al zawahiri. mr biden said he authorised the operation which took place on saturday. he said the mission was successful and there were no civilian casualties. the speaker of the us house of representatives, nancy pelosi, is expected to visit taiwan as part of her tour of asia although there is no official confirmation on this yet. china has warned of serious consequences if the trip to the self ruled island goes ahead. last week, president xi jinping told president biden not to play with fire . zack cooper is senior fellow with the american enterprise
operation? the picture the americans are painting is at the thought process around this was pain staking and the strike particulars. generals are briefed the president before president biden said those words. about a month ago there was a meeting with president brighton and of the cia and the director of national intelligence and the director of counter terrorism and the presented president biden with the model of the house in which ayman al zawahiri lived and he even asked questions about the kind of construction material used in the building of that house, to see how effect if the strike would be. two hellfire missiles they are air to ground surface missiles that can come from drones were used and that implies that to huge vessels were sent from drones and hit ayman al zawahiri on the balcony of the house he was
ayman al zawahiri s followers took lessons from 0sama ayman al zawahiri s followers took lessons from osama bin laden s hiding but it demonstrates the long reach and determined and dedicated intelligence and the follow up with an airpower instrument. president biden described it as a moment that could be closure also for the families of victims of 9/11. i wonder how familiar name and figure ayman al zawahiri is in the us? he familiar name and figure ayman al-zawahiri is in the us?- al-zawahiri is in the us? he is re al-zawahiri is in the us? he is pretty well al-zawahiri is in the us? he is pretty well known al-zawahiri is in the us? he is pretty well known in al-zawahiri is in the us? he is pretty well known in the - al-zawahiri is in the us? he is pretty well known in the us, l al-zawahiri is in the us? he is| pretty well known in the us, as he was indicted for the bombings of the us embassies in kenya and tanzania in 1988, which by the way, kind of highlighted the growing thre