Abu Ubaidah al-Masri

Abu Ubaidah al-Masri (/ɑːl ˈmɑːsri/; Arabic: ابو عبيده المصري‎; died December 2007) was an al-Qaeda operative in Pakistan. Al-Masri was 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.

Biography

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

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. Al-Masri was suspected of helping recruit and train operatives who carried out the 7 July 2005 London Bombings. According to American intelligence officials, he was 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.

Death

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

References
  1. Mark Mazzetti (April 2, 2008). "New Generation of Qaeda Chiefs Is Seen on Rise". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  2. Jonathan S. Landay (April 8, 2008). "Al Qaida operative who helped direct London bombings is dead". McClatchy Newspapers. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
  3. Whitlock, Craig; DeYoung, Karen (2008-04-09). "Top Al-Qaeda Planner Believed to Have Died, U.S. Officials Say". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
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