bhramos
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Osama Bin Laden's son killed in UAV airstrike in Pakistan
Bin Laden's Son Believed Killed in U.S. Airstrike - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com
Sources confirmed to FOX News late Wednesday that officials believe the younger bin Laden was killed by hellfire missiles from a U.S. Predator drone strike earlier this year.
The death was first reported by National Public Radio.
National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell told NPR that Saad bin Laden reportedly traveled to Pakistan last year after spending several years under house arrest in Iran.
It is believed Saad, who is not considered a significant player in Al Qaeda leadership, was "collateral" damage in the airstrike and was not considered important enough to target on his own.
It isn't possible to tell for certain whether he was killed, since a body has not been recovered, preventing DNA tests, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NPR.
The source estimated the chance Saad bin Laden is dead at "80 to 85 percent."
At least 11 senior Al Qaeda operatives have been taken out in the secretive drone campaign which has continued at the same tempo under the Obama administration.
A U.S. official points out that Saad "had a marquee name" but was not actively considered a successor to his father.
"We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," NPR quoted a source as saying.
Bin Laden's Son Believed Killed in U.S. Airstrike - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com
Sources confirmed to FOX News late Wednesday that officials believe the younger bin Laden was killed by hellfire missiles from a U.S. Predator drone strike earlier this year.
The death was first reported by National Public Radio.
National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell told NPR that Saad bin Laden reportedly traveled to Pakistan last year after spending several years under house arrest in Iran.
It is believed Saad, who is not considered a significant player in Al Qaeda leadership, was "collateral" damage in the airstrike and was not considered important enough to target on his own.
It isn't possible to tell for certain whether he was killed, since a body has not been recovered, preventing DNA tests, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NPR.
The source estimated the chance Saad bin Laden is dead at "80 to 85 percent."
At least 11 senior Al Qaeda operatives have been taken out in the secretive drone campaign which has continued at the same tempo under the Obama administration.
A U.S. official points out that Saad "had a marquee name" but was not actively considered a successor to his father.
"We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," NPR quoted a source as saying.
