Terrorists

Al Qaeda Gets a New Leader

Former Egyptian commando takes control.

A new public-enemy number one? Saif al-Adel, a former Egyptian special forces officer, has become the interim leader of al Qaeda, according to CNN. The information comes from Noman Benotman, who fought with al Qaeda-affiliated groups for years before renouncing the ideology. Benotman says the decision was made by six to eight al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, not the formal shura council, which is unable to gather in one place. Bin Laden’s presumed long-term successor is the Egyptian doctor Ayman al-Zawahiri; Benotman suggests al-Adel’s selection is a way to gauge how Saudis and Yemenis will react to an Egyptian leader.