Mustafa Abu al-Yazid

Mustafa Ahmed Muhammad Uthman Abu al-Yazid (born December 17, 1955),Michael Scheuer (July 3, 2007) [http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/uploads/tf_004_021.pdf "Al-Qaeda's New Leader in Afghanistan: A Profile of Abu al-Yazid" ] . Terrorism Focus Volume 4, Issue 21. The Jamestown Foundation. Washington, DC. p. 5-7.] often shortened to Mustafa Abu al-Yazid and also known as Sheikh Saeed, is an Egyptian Islamic militant and the al-Qaeda commander of operations in Afghanistan. [cite news |first=Craig |last=Whitlock |coauthors=Ladaa, Munir |title=Al-Qaeda's New Leadership |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/specials/terror/yazid.html |publisher=The Washington Post |date=2006 |accessdate=2007-12-28]

Al-Yazid was imprisoned for three years in Egypt because of involvement in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat in 1981. During this time or shortly after he joined Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and in 1988 went to Afghanistan where he played a role in founding al-Qaeda.

Al-Yazid has two wives and several sons and daughters, including one married to the son of Sheikh Omar Abd al-Rahman.

On December 27 al-Yazid is said to have claimed responsibility for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, telling Adnkronos International that "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahideen." The article further claims that al-Yazid stated that al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri ordered the killing in October 2007. [cite news |title=Pakistan: Al-Qaeda claims Bhutto's death |url=http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.1710322437 |publisher=Adnkronos International|date=2007-12-27 |accessdate=2007-12-27] The Asia Times Online also reported that it had received a claim of responsibility from al-Yazid by telephone. [cite news |first=Syed Saleem |last=Shahzad |title=Al-Qaeda claims Bhutto killing |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IL29Df01.html |publisher=Asia Times Online |date=2007-12-27 |accessdate=2007-12-27] US intelligence officials have said that they cannot confirm this claim of responsibility.cite news |first=Brian |last=Ross |title=U.S. Checking al Qaeda Claim of Killing Bhutto |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/12/us-checking-al.html |publisher=ABC News: The Blotter|date=2007-12-27 |accessdate=2007-12-27] al-Yazid has also been linked to the 2008 Danish embassy bombing.cite news
url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-qaeda13-2008aug13,0,6792835.story
title=Al Qaeda Official Is Said To Be Dead
page=6
publisher=Los Angeles Times
author=Zulfiqar Ali, Laura King
date=2008-08-13
accessdate=2008-08-30
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fworld%2Fla-fg-qaeda13-2008aug13%2C0%2C6792835.story&date=2008-08-30 mirror] ]

On August 13, 2008, Pakistani officials claimed that Mustafa Abu al-Yazid was killed in the Bajaur tribal area along the Pakistani-Afghan frontier, however, these claims have not been confirmed and may according to some be an attempt to refute recent US accusations that sections of the Pakistani intelligence services are still assisting Islamic extremists.cite news
first= James
last= Cogan |authorlink=
coauthors=
title= Hundreds dead in fighting along Afghanistan-Pakistan border
url= http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/aug2008/afgh-a16.shtml
work= World Socialist Web Site
publisher=
date= August 16, 2008
accessdate=2008-08-24 ] cite news
url=http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=13885
title=Sheikh Said: Al Qaeda's Financier
publisher=Asharq Alawsat
author=Mohamed al Shafey
date=2008-08-29
accessdate=2008-08-20
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Faawsat.com%2Fenglish%2Fnews.asp%3Fsection%3D3%26id%3D13885&date=2008-08-30 mirror] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Exposing%20the%20Enemy/Al-Jazirah%20Carries%20Video%20Remarks%20by%20'New'%20Al-Qa'ida%20Official%20in%20Afghanistan.aspx Video transcript of al-Yazid on Al-Jazirah]
* [http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/21/1212847.aspx Al-Qaida senior leader grants rare TV interview]