America has claimed its most significant victory in its controversial targeted bombing campaign after a drone strike in Pakistan killed al Qaida's second-in-command.
The killing of Abu Yahya al-Libi was also the biggest setback to the terror network since the death of Osama bin Laden.
Al-Libi was considered a media-savvy, charismatic leader with religious credentials who was helping preside over the transformation of a secretive group based in Pakistan and Afghanistan into a global movement aimed at winning converts - and potential attackers - from Somalia to the Philippines.
This was not the first time the US had al-Libi in its sights. He was originally captured a decade ago and held by American forces at the Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan until he escaped in 2005 in an embarrassing security breach.
