Biden confirmed that justice has been done for the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks
Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in an American strike in Kabul
Al-Zawahiri was targeted by two Hellfire missiles.
AFP
Biden in a televised speech announcing the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri.
EPA
Smoke rises over the area where al-Zawahiri was killed in Kabul.
AFP
picture
US President Joe Biden announced yesterday that the United States had killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, stressing that "justice has been served" for the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Biden said in a televised speech that he gave the green light to the high-resolution raid that successfully targeted al-Zawahiri in the Afghan capital over the weekend.
"On Saturday, at my direction, the United States succeeded in carrying out an air strike in Kabul, which resulted in the death of al-Zawahiri," he added.
He explained that Al-Zawahiri, 71, "was deeply involved in planning the September 11 terrorist attacks and for decades was the mastermind behind the attacks against Americans."
"Now, justice has been done," Biden said, adding that he hoped Zawahiri's killing would help the 3,000 families of the 9/11 victims "turn the page."
While Biden did not mention the Taliban in his televised speech, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken considered that the movement "blatantly violated the Doha Agreement", which paved the way for the US withdrawal by "hosting and harboring" Al-Zawahiri.
A senior US administration official said that al-Zawahiri was on the balcony of his home in Kabul when he was targeted by two Hellfire missiles, an hour after sunrise on July 31.
The operation did not call for a US military deployment on the ground, evidence that the United States is capable of "monitoring the whereabouts of the world's largest terrorists and taking measures to eliminate them," according to the same source.
"We don't know if he ever left the safe house," the official added.
We spotted al-Zawahiri on several occasions and for long periods of time on the balcony where he was eventually targeted.”
According to the official account, President Biden gave the green light to carry out the strike on July 25, while he was in isolation due to his infection with "Covid-19".
Biden said there were no civilian casualties in the operation.
The official considered Al-Zawahiri's presence in the Afghan capital, Kabul, a "clear violation" of the Doha agreement signed by the Taliban with the United States in 2020, which paved the way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"What we know is that the leaders of the Haqqani-Taliban were aware of the presence of al-Zawahiri in Kabul," the senior US official said.
The house that was targeted by the raid is located in Sharpur, which is one of the most luxurious neighborhoods in Kabul and includes several villas occupied by senior officials and leaders of the Taliban.
Residents of Sherbour told AFP that they had always thought the targeted house was empty.
High walls and barbed wire surround the house, while a green tent covers the balcony where al-Zawahiri is believed to have died.
"We haven't seen anyone in it for about a year," said an employee working in a nearby office. "It's always dark and no lamp is lit."
While the reactions to the killing of Al-Zawahiri continued, from former US President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the killing of Al-Zawahiri. The United States, Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries of the world,” noting that these operations led to the killing of “thousands of innocent people of different nationalities and religions, including Saudi citizens.”
The Kingdom's government stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and concerted international efforts to combat and eradicate the scourge of terrorism.
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