US Drone Strike in Pakistan Kills Al-Qaida No. 2

A U.S. official says a drone strike in northwestern Pakistan has killed al-Qaida's second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi, dealing what is said to be a major blow to the terror group.

Tuesday's confirmation of al-Libi's death came a day after missiles from a U.S. drone hit a vehicle and compound in the North Waziristan tribal region, killing at least 15 people, including foreigners.

A Pakistani official said authorities had intercepted a telephone conversation in which militants talked about the death of an Arab, and residents in the area had said they believed al-Libi was in the compound at the time of the strike.  The senior al-Qaida leader was reportedly wounded in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan on 28 May.

The latest drone strike was the third since Saturday -- with a total of at least 27 people killed.

Pakistan's foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned Deputy U.S. Ambassador Richard Hoagland to convey "serious concern regarding drone strikes in Pakistani territory."  The ministry called the strikes "unlawful, against international law and a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty," and a "red-line" for the country.  It also noted that Pakistan's parliament had "emphatically stated" that drone strikes are "unacceptable."

The United States is likely to continue the drone strikes because they are an effective way to go after militants without endangering U.S. forces, said Christopher Snedden, a South Asia analyst with the Melbourne-based security consultancy Asia Calling, in an interview.

"I expect that they will do that because it's such an efficient way of running an operation. It may be reduced if Islamabad and Washington can actually improve their relationship but there's nothing in the short term that suggests that's going to happen," Snedden said.

The Libyan-born Libi has been running al-Qaida's day-to-day operations in Pakistan's tribal regions as well as its links to regional affiliates.  He escaped prison at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2005 and appeared in a series of propaganda videos before rising to become the terror group's deputy leader last year.  The U.S. government had placed a $1 million price on his head.

At the Pentagon, spokesman John Kirby refused to provide reporters with details of counterterrorism operations.  But he said al-Libi is a "very dangerous individual, and for him to no longer be walking the earth would be a good thing for everybody."

The Pentagon spokesman also said U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has made it very clear that the United States will deal with threats to the security of the United States and its allies "wherever they are."

Relations between Washington and Islamabad have reached a new low following last year's killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by U.S. special forces and the accidental killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a NATO air strike.

Pakistan's parliament has demanded a U.S. apology for the deadly cross-border attack last November and an end to the U.S. drone strikes. Washington refused to end the missions, saying drone strikes are a vital tool in the war against al-Qaida and the Taliban.  Islamabad responded by blocking NATO supply routes into Afghanistan and the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on reopening them.

Senior U.S. defense official Peter Lavoy is set to hold talks with Pakistani officials in Islamabad this week to try and break the deadlock over the supply routes.

Abu Yahya al-Libi
Was born in Libya around 1963.
Was captured in 2002.
Escaped from the Bagram Air Base prison in Afghanistan in 2005.
Became al-Qaida's number two leader in 2011.
U.S. offered a $1 million bounty for al-Libi.

Gadhafi’s 42-Year Rule Marked By Controversy

Moammar Gadhafi was known for both his controversial policies and his flamboyance during his 42-year rule of Libya.

Gadhafi was in power from 1969 when he deposed the nation's king in a military coup until his ouster in August.

Colonel Gadhafi gained a reputation as an eccentric, donning flowing robes and animal skins and surrounding himself with all female bodyguards.

Labeled the “mad dog of the Middle East” by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, the Libyan leader drew attention for his often-controversial political decisions.

He supported a number of revolutionary movements around the world, including in Chad and Iran. He was accused of sponsoring Islamic militant groups and terrorist attacks.

In 1986, U.S. President Reagan ordered air strikes in Libya because of the Gadhafi government's alleged involvement in the bombing of a German nightclub that killed two U.S. servicemen.

Just two years later, Libya was blamed for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie that killed 270 people. Gadhafi admitted responsibility for the attack in 2003 and agreed to pay victims' families more than $2 billion in compensation.

That same year, the Libyan leader agreed to renounce terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, clearing the way for the lifting of U.S. and European sanctions, and the restoring of diplomatic relations. The United Nations also lifted its sanctions related to the Lockerbie bombing.

But the goodwill did not last long. Gadhafi fought to hold onto power against a large-scale uprising that began in February. He was under immense international pressure to step down after responding to the uprising with deadly violence. The government crackdown on protesters prompted new international sanctions against Libya, and in March, NATO began an air campaign against Gadhafi's forces under a U.N. mandate to protect the Libyan people.

Born in 1942 to a Bedouin family in the Libyan desert, Gadhafi graduated from the University of Libya and became an army officer.

Less than a decade after taking control of the country at age 27, he invented a system of government called the “Jamahiriya,” Arabic for “state of the masses.” In theory, the system was to be run by people's committees, with Gadhafi assuming the title of “Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution.” But in reality, he quashed dissent and reportedly survived several assassination attempts.

Gadhafi was a strong advocate of the ideology of Arab unity known as Pan-Arabism, and also led a Pan-African effort seeking to unify African nations.

Photo: Muammar Qaddafi, the Libyan chief of state, attends the 12th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 2, 2009. Qaddafi was elected chairman of the organization. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt/Released)