Waziristan, March 19: Pakistani troops say they have surrounded a senior al-Qaeda leader close to the Afghan border and are preparing to move in with helicopter gunships. There are reports that the men cornered in the tribal dominated border region with Afghanistan may include Osama bin Laden`s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. However, there has been no confirmation on the identity of the target. The US too has been cautious in its response and some voices in the US establishment feel this will have little impact on the ground in the fight against terror. "It is important and helpful but the fight must go on and he is a very visible object of our effort," said Carl Levin, Democrat senator. "But we can`t say that if we capture him, the level of violence will be reduced either in Afghanistan, Iraq or other places added. Zawahri is not just a key Osama aide but is also supposed to be the spiritual advisor to the al Qaeda chief. He founded the Egypt Oslamic Jihad in 1979 and was a well to do doctor, before dedicating himself to the Islamic jehad in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. Zawahri has left his fingerprints in terrorist attacks from Africa to the September 11 attacks in the US. The man first came under the spotlight in 1981 when he was charged with attempting to assassinate Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. In 1985, he met bin Laden, who shortly thereafter formed al-Qaeda.
Bureau Report