Libby: Al Qaeda's 'warrior, poet, scholar'

Perhaps no one remembers that when al-Libi arrived in northwestern Pakistan a few years ago, he was lavishly respected, even by "the most dangerous extremist in history."

ABU Yahya al-Libi, al Qaeda's second-in-command, has appeared in various al Qaeda videos, in military uniform, sometimes dressed as a civilian.

"This is a difficult time," said prayers for "our brothers in Waziristan" on websites populated by Islamic extremists after Al Qaeda's second-in-command, al-Libi, was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's tribal region.

In Western media, Mr. Libi, 49, has been described as a charismatic religious scholar, al Qaeda's most experienced and versatile leader, and one of the last fighters to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.

He was a man of many talents, a preacher and a propagandist

Al Qaeda may never again find a leader who is responsible not only for Afghanistan and Pakistan but also for the promotion of jihad around the world.

In the photo, Libby appeared to be an ordinary middle-aged man with a long, slightly plump face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, a broad nose, a slightly curly beard near his chin, and a dark complexion. In different scenes, sometimes dressed in camouflage, sometimes in a black jacket, he is sturdy and worldly.

Before 2005, few people knew about him. But he became something of a legend in the world of Islamic extremists after he escaped from the American base at Bagram in Afghanistan that July. He is said to have made Al Qaeda cooler in the eyes of his supporters.

He has appeared in dozens of al Qaeda videos, preaching at Eid, analyzing Western plots in Iraq, or lecturing believers on "how to balance jihad and knowledge"...

"He was a warrior, he was a poet, he was a scholar, he was an authority, and he was a military commander." Jarret Brachman, a former CIA analyst, described Libby to the New York Times in 2008.

Live, or in honor of his native Libya

The religious scholar from Libya was born in 1963. His real name is Mohammed Hassan al-Gayed. It has been speculated that the name "Libby" may be a title of respect or a way to remember his homeland.

Little is known about Libby's early years. As a student at the University of Sabha in Libya, Libi was influenced by Islamic ideas, which replaced socialism as the dominant ideology in the Arab world in the 1980s, into the radical Islamist movement.

Live, like thousands of others, came to Afghanistan to begin a "holy war" against the Soviet Union with American and Saudi support. After Moscow withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in 1989, Libi did not return home, but moved between African countries, continuing to study and delve into religion.

He was more of a religious scholar than a warrior. For many years, he had no contact with bin Laden but was a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which, like many North African groups, refused to be associated with al Qaeda.

In 1996, when radical Islamist groups were no longer welcome in Sudan, Libi returned to Afghanistan to give religious introductions to Libyan Islamic fighting group volunteers. Perhaps it was then that he became a member of the base. U.S. counterterrorism experts believe that part of his job at Al Qaeda was to use his religious knowledge to promote the group's propaganda and invent justifications for its terrorist attacks.

After he escaped from the American Army, he became famous

Mr. Libi was captured in 2002 after the United States and its Allies entered Afghanistan to destroy Taliban rule.

After more than three years in captivity, Libby escaped and rose to fame. He became the subject of Al Qaeda propaganda, and videos of him began popping up on the Internet. He began by talking about his escape and mocking Americans but gradually evolved into his views on world events and calls for Muslims to fight jihad against the United States.

At one point, he was second only to Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Yemeni-American Muslim cleric, as an Internet star, an appeal that put him on bin Laden's radar and, increasingly, on the American military's hit list.

He had a $1 million U.S. bounty on his head. In charge of al-Qaeda's foreign operations, he is believed to have played an important role in planning previous attacks on the West.

After 2011, as more and more middle and senior leaders were killed, Libi was thrust into a more important role.

In 2009, there were reports from Pakistan that al-Libi had been killed in a U.S. drone strike, but it turned out to be another al-Qaida leader.

But this time, it was confirmed by the U.S. government. A Pentagon spokesman declined to provide details of the operation, stressing only that Libi was a "very dangerous man" whose death was in everyone's interest.

"He is a high-profile militant, but not one of the most talented or famous of the Al Qaeda-linked people. He was Al Qaeda's number two at the time of his death, perhaps illustrating how thin the organization's talent pool is after years of attrition." Libby's life was summed up in his obituary in the Guardian.

Perhaps no one remembers that when al-Libi arrived in northwestern Pakistan a few years ago, he was lavishly respected, even by "the most dangerous extremist in history."