Al Qaeda’s new chief Ayman al-Zawahiri is in Pakistan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said here Monday.
Egyptian cleric al-Zawahri, took over the organisation after Osama bin Laden’s killing May 2 last year by US Navy SEALs in Pakistan’s Abbottabad town.
Clinton said: “We want to disable Al Qaeda. We believe Zawahiri is in Pakistan.”
Speaking at an interaction that was moderated by the NDTV, she said: “You have to go over those who are trying to kill you. You have to be focused on that.”
Referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including foreigners, were killed by 10 terrorists from Pakistan, Clinton said that she had authorised an award for Hafiz Saeed who was responsible for attacks in Mumbai.
Hafiz Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, is accused of masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks. The US last month announced an award of up to $10 million for information leading to arrest and conviction of Saeed and $2 million for Hafiz Adbul Rahman Makki, under the Rewards for Justice programme, for information on the two terrorists.
“It may take longer than we like but we will stand with you and trying to make that happen,” she added.
Clinton is in India on a three-day trip that began Sunday.