Abu Ubaidah al-Masri

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Abu Ubaida al-Masri (Arabic: ابو عبيده المصري) (died December 2007) was an al-Qaeda operative in Pakistan. Al-Masri has been implicated in the 2006 Transatlantic Aircraft Plot, which was to be carried out by a terrorist cell operating in London, but which was orchestrated by al-Qaeda's central leadership.

Al-Masri is Egyptian (the epithet literally means 'the Egyptian') but he received combat experience, and terrorist and insurgent training in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Chechnya.

Until recently al-Masri was thought to be a provincial al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan, but according to The New York Times, "[al-Masri] emerged as one of Al Qaeda's senior operatives after the death of Abu Hamza Rabia, another Egyptian who was killed by a missile strike in Pakistan in 2005."[1]

The information about al-Masri's ascendency through the al-Qaeda leadership allegedly came from interrogations of al-Qaeda operatives captured in Pakistan.[citation needed] Al-Masri is suspected of helping recruit and train operatives who carried out the 7 July 2005 London Bombings. According to American intelligence officials, he is also suspected of involvement in the foiled plan to blow up airliners over the Atlantic Ocean in 2006.

Al-Masri lived in Germany before going to Afghanistan to join the mujahadeen. After Afghanistan, he returned to Germany to begin building a network in Europe.

In 2006, two attempts were made by coalition forces to kill him.

[edit] Reports of death

According to U.S. government counterterrorism sources, al-Masri is believed to have died in December 2007, in Pakistan's tribal region reportedly of natural causes, probably due to hepatitis.[2][3] Al-Masri was between 40 and 50 years old.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mark Mazzetti. "New Generation of Qaeda Chiefs Is Seen on Rise", The New York Times, April 2, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  2. ^ Jonathan S. Landay. "Al Qaida operative who helped direct London bombings is dead", McClatchy Newspapers, April 8, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-09. 
  3. ^ Whitlock, Craig; DeYoung, Karen. "Top Al-Qaeda Planner Believed to Have Died, U.S. Officials Say", Washington Post, 2008-04-09. Retrieved on 2008-04-09. 
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