updated Wed. April 10, 2024
-
FRONTLINE
February 20, 2018
The order to blow up three housing compounds in Riyadh in 2003 was made by Saif al-Adel while he was in Iran. We have the conversation on tape. Why would Iran do this? In order to cause problems in Saudi Arabia, because Saudi Arabia is a Sunni country. Isn't that sectarianism? So they're simplyÃâà...
Long War Journal
January 18, 2018
Interestingly, Saif al Adel is still an active al Qaeda leader and serves as one of Ayman al Zawahiri's current deputies. After the 9/11 hijackings, al Adel fled to Iran, where his status has been murky at times. It appears that he was operational in the months after 9/11, as American and Saudi officials linked himÃâà...
Long War Journal
December 2, 2017
They are Saif al-Adel, Abu Muhmmad al-Masri and Abu al-Khayr al-Masri. All three are shown in pre-9/11 Afghanistan celebrating the official merger of Zawahiri's Egyptian Islamic Jihad group with bin Laden's operation. (Screenshots can be seen below.) Footage of these Egyptians is included becauseÃâà...
The Atlantic
November 11, 2017
The first to come was Saif al-Adel. A former colonel in the Egyptian Special Forces, he traveled under the pseudonym Ibrahim. He was accompanied by fellow Egyptian and al-Qaeda council member Abu Mohammed al-Masri—whose papers identified him as Daoud Shirizi—a former professional soccerÃâà...
Al-Arabiya
October 24, 2017
As the months went by, other members of the al-Qaeda hierarchy joined the Sheikh, including his son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, and Saif al-Adel, said to be the successor of Khalid Shaikh, the commander of al-Qaeda's military wing, a self-confessed mastermind of 9/11, presently in US custody, and alsoÃâà...
Middle East Online
October 2, 2017
However, some analysts say that Hamza may become little more than a figurehead, with military veterans, such as strategist Saif al-Adel, a former special forces colonel in the Egyptian Army, and other battle-hardened senior al- Qaeda operatives infiltrated into Syria by Zawahiri since 2013, calling the shotsÃâà...
War on the Rocks
June 22, 2017
Although The Exile is undeniably bin Laden's and al-Qaeda's story of survival against formidable odds, the lynchpin of the saga is undoubtedly a former colonel in the Egyptian Army's special forces named Saif al-Adel. Today, Al-Adel manages al-Qaeda's interests and operations in Syria. His qualificationsÃâà...
Newsweek
June 19, 2017
Saif al-Adel is shown in a photo released by the FBI on October 10, 2001. FBI/Getty. In the months after 9/11 and the fall of the Taliban, as the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, bin Laden family members and high-ranking Al-Qaeda figures escaped to the Shiite stronghold of Iran. That may seem like a surprisingÃâà...
The Guardian
May 29, 2017
Instead, it appears that power within al-Qaida has shifted to two key figures: Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who leads its affiliate in Syria, and Saif al-Adel, a 55-year-old survivor of the first generation of Islamic militants who was indicted for his role in the bombing of US embassies in east Africa in 1998. Al-AdelÃâà...
WTOP
November 5, 2015
“The stature of Saif al-Adel is really hard to overstate in the jihadist community,” Skinner said. “Even young passionate kids [jihadist trainees] that don't really understand the history know that Saif al-Adel was a legend among al-Qaida, and the fact he's back in the mix means they're taking this very seriously.”.
Long War Journal
September 18, 2015
The five jihadists who were reportedly freed are: Saif al Adel, Abu Mohammed al Masri, Abu Khayr al Masri, Khalid al Aruri and Sari Shihab. The first three are well-known senior al Qaeda leaders who have served in elite management and advisory positions within the group. In addition, Saif al Adel and AbuÃâà...
Spiegel Online
October 25, 2010
Saif al-Adel enjoys a truly outstanding reputation among Islamic militants around the world. The Egyptian, whose nom-de-guerre means "sword of justice," is considered a seasoned operational planner and an experienced field commander. He is often mentioned together with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed,Ãâà...
