Haitham al-Yemeni

Haitham al-Yemeni ( _ar. هيثم أليمنى ) (?? - May 2005) was an al Qaeda explosives expert from Yemen killed in northwest Pakistan (near the Afghanistan border) in early March 2005 by an unmanned CIA-operated RQ-1 Predator aircraft (probably using a Hellfire missile), according to ABC News. The CIA has not yet released a statement about his death, such a report may be sensitive due to the assassination having taken place in Pakistani territory. Additionally, Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has so far also denied that this incident took place.

Al-Yemeni may have been in line to replace Abu Faraj al-Libbi as the global operations chief of al Qaeda, though other sources deny his importance. (This would have placed him roughly third in the organization.) The assassination was ordered by the CIA due to fears that he was about to go into hiding.

"Note: Various news sources spell his first name as "Haitham" or "Haithem".

External links

* [http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=147826&page=1 Original ABC News Exclusive]
* [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/13/alqaeda.killing/index.html CNN Article]
* [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7847008/ NBC confirms story]