Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, who’s taken his place as the leader of al Qaeda? That’s not such an easy question. “I wouldn’t want to speculate at this time. I mean, there are a number of senior al Qaeda officials who could, in theory, step up,” a senior US intelligence official told reporters at the Pentagon last week. He added, “Ayman al Zawahiri is obviously the presumed successor, but there are strong indications that he is not popular within certain circles of the group. So, I believe, it’s an open question as to who will take over for Osama bin Laden.” Last week, al Qaeda issued a statement acknowledging bin Laden’s death, reported Reuters. The statement made no mention of Zawahiri or a possible successor. (Briefing transcript) (See also US Special Forces Kill Osama Bin Laden.)
The Pentagon’s new counter-drone task force will play a direct role in arming Airmen with new weapons to defend Air Force agile combat employment, or ACE, air bases in austere locations against enemy drone attacks, the director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 said Oct. 14.
