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1 1 (August 3, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveicy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congresiona Al Qaeda Leader Zawahiri Killed in U.S. Drone Strike in Afghanistan August 3, 2022 On August 1, 2022, President Biden announced that two days earlier, a U.S. drone strike had killed Al Qaeda (AQ) leader Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan. Congress may consider whether Zawahiri's death may lead to changes in Al Qaeda's organization, operational capacity, and the threats it poses to U.S. interests. Congress also may examine the operation and the circumstances of Zawahiri's presence in Afghanistan in considering U.S. policy in Afghanistan, including U.S. relations with the ruling Taliban government and U.S. over-the-horizon counterterrorism capabilities. Zawahiri's Life and Death Ayman al Zawahiri, born in Egypt in 1951, was AQ founder Osama bin Laden's deputy for over a decade, and served as Al Qaeda's leader (or emir) after Bin Laden's May 2011 killing. Zawahiri was indicted for his role in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in east Africa, and was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11 and other major attacks. Zawahiri lacked Bin Laden's charisma, and under his leadership, Al Qaeda experienced the internal dispute that led to the founding of the rival Islamic State (IS) organization that arguably overshadowed Al Qaeda after 2014. Some analysts argue that Zawahiri's decentralized and less flashy approach was an asset, allowing AQ affiliates to establish a durable presence in local communities while the Islamic State group bore the brunt of U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11976 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress -