New Al-Qaeda boss known as Sword of Revenge is ‘worse than Osama bin Laden’

Terror network al-Qaeda is set to become as dangerous as it was during the 9-11 attacks two decades ago with a ruthless new leader self-dubbed “the Sword of Revenge.”

Blood thirsty Saif al-Adel is thought to be al-Qaeda’s new chief bent on recruiting Islamic State fighters and sparking fears of atrocities across the west.

The 60 year-old Egyptian-born former military general is a “brilliant and ruthless strategist,” and is tipped to take the reins from Ayman Zawahiri.

Rumours Zawahiri is probably dead mean intelligence agencies are braced for an “al-Qaeda re-brand” as Iran-based Saif is almost certainly the new boss.

British and American spies have been monitoring Saif’s movements for years as he has been involved in every al-Qaeda outrage launched in three decades.

Egyptian jihad veteran Ayman Zawahiri took over following Osama bin Laden’s death in 2011
but has hardly been heard of for years.

Former FBI counter-terror expert Ali Soufan wrote that Saif may be “the third Emir of al-Qaeda” with a three decade terror CV under his belt.

Saif already has a £7.5 million US bounty on his head, wanted for the 1998 US embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, killing 224.

Veteran fighter Saif headed bin Laden’s personal “Black Guard” close protection unit in Afghanistan, named after the colour of their scarves.

And one person who knew him then, according to a recent report written by Soufan, said cold-hearted Saif was always: “.. the least affected by the deaths of innocent civilians.”

Saif introduced Islamic State founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and 9-11 plotter Khaled Sheikh Mohammed to bin Laden and was involved in the 1993 Black Hawk Down battle in Somalia.

Counter terror veteran Soufan wrote recently: “Saif’s revered status with the movement as well as his deep experience as a military intelligence and security leader and terrorist planner make him a potentially dangerous emir.”

Saif could merge his network with ISIS and has solidified al-Qaeda’s bonds with Iran and the Afghanistan Taliban.

British terrorism expert Colonel Richard Kemp, whose job was once to monitor Saif’s movements for the British government in the early 2000s told the Daily Mirror: “He is highly likely to be the new leader as he is hugely respected amongst al-Qaeda but crucially he also respected amongst Islamic State.

“Not only could he be the new boss of al-Qaeda but he could also entice members of ISIS to join al-Qaeda or cause some kind of fusion between the two.

“There is co-operation between groups like this but Saif is so well-respected that he could cause even greater co-operation or even a merger.

“He’s an intelligent, strategic thinker and al-Qaeda has been in the doldrums under Zawahiri. All of this is about leadership and he could re-energise the movement.

“He could make al-Qaeda a much more effective organisation than it has been for a few years.

“He would know the place to make impact is not so much in Syria or elsewhere in the Middle East but to garner support and reinvigorate the organisation he would look at Europe and the US.

“The other thing to consider is his Iranian base, as Iran had facilitated al-Qaeda attacks before. That is hugely problematic for us.

“People don’t understand this – they say Iran could not support these groups because Iran is Shia and al-Qaeda is a Sunni group but simply is not true.

“Iran will support them. If they want America attacks they would rather al_Qaeda did it with their support so they do not get targeted. They have done it many times before.

“British intelligence has been aware of this man for many many years now and have been monitoring his movements and activities as far as possible.

“I was personally responsible when I worked in the Joint Intelligence Committee I was monitoring his activities at that time from 2002 – 2006.

“He was recognised then as being a very significant figure in al-Qaeda, in the top three or five.

“Now he is probably the top one now, with the demise of bin Laden and the potential demise of Zawahiri, his importance is even greater and more dangerous.

“Compared to Zawahiri he is likely to be a much more effective leader, at least so or more so even than bin Laden.”