Yesterday's airstrike in Pakistan's tribal agency of South Waziristan, which killed 13 Arab al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban, has raised once again the question of whether last month's airstrike in North Waziristan claimed the life of Adam Gadahn, the American traitor and al Qaeda propagandist. Rumors swirled last month that Gadahn was killed along with Abu Laith al Libi, a senior al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan. Gadahn was reported missing by associates, and he has not produced an al Qaeda propaganda tape since the January strike.
Rusty Shackleford, who closely tracks jihadi and al Qaeda's propaganda operations at The Jawa Report, believes Gadahn died in the late January airstrike. "This week a trusted source revealed to me that he was hearing from Pakistan that Gadahn was most likely dead," Shackleford said. "I asked him if his sources weren't the same as NBC? No, he replied, he had a different source of information."
"Then why hasn't the U.S. confirmed Gadahn's demise?" Shackleford asks. " Too many body parts," his source said. "Very little left of any one on the ground. Could take some time, or we may never have confirmation."
Perhaps. But al Qaeda would certainly know if one of its senior propagandists has been killed. Al Qaeda has been quick to announce the death of its leaders in the past, and has taken the opportunity to use their deaths as propaganda and recruiting tools. In the case of Abu Laith al Libi, al Qaeda released an announcement less than 48 hours after the airstrike. Several videotapes have been released addressing al Libi's death, including one released yesterday by none other than Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command.
Al Qaeda likely would have capitalized on Gadahn's death as well given his unique status as an American member of the terror group. Al Qaeda could claim the cowardly Americans had to use remotely launched missiles to kill their own countryman (despite the fact Gadahn tore up his passport in a video released a few months ago).
Of course, there is the possibility that al Qaeda would hide Gadahn's death to deny the Bush administration its own propaganda coup. Gadahn was indicted in a U.S. federal court under charges of treason and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization by making al Qaeda propaganda videos. He is the first American to be indicted for treason since 1952. But this seems unlikely, as covering up Gadahn's death would run counter to al Qaeda's history of quickly and publicly announcing the death of the group's senior figures.
