LONDON, (Reuters) – A leading specialist on al Qaeda said yesterday an Egyptian veteran militant was acting as an interim operational leader pending the expected appointment of deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahri as successor to Osama bin Laden.
Noman Benotman, a former associate of bin Laden and now an analyst with Britain’s Quilliam Foundation think tank, told Reuters Saif al-Adel was operating in effect as interim leader while the organisation collected pledges of loyalty to Zawahri.
U.S. prosecutors say Adel is one of al Qaeda’s leading military chiefs, and helped to plan the bomb attacks against the American embassies in
