Osama's Shadowy Heir Apparent

The possible successor to Osama bin Laden as head of al-Qaida is a shadowy Pakistani who authorities suspect planned a series of Mumbai-style attacks last summer. Ilyas Kashmiri is believed to have moved ahead of Ayman al-Zawahri as the next boss of the terror network. Zawahiri could still emerge, but is reportedly unpopular in the terror gang's upper echelon. Kashmiri, 47 and missing an index finger, was linked to a Chicago cab driver who met several times with him and was later indicted. Kashmiri told the cabbie he got orders directly from bin Laden and transmitted them to al-Qaida and Taliban operatives. The U.S. State Department's website lists a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Contact Us