Al Qaeda No. 3 Dead

Al Qaeda’s third in command, Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid (aka Shaikh Sa’id al-Masri), was killed a week ago in Pakistan, according to U.S. officials and several Islamist websites. Among other responsibilities, Al-Yazid was believed to be in charge of the terrorist group’s activities in Afghanistan. "Al-Masri was the group's chief operating officer,” an official told ABC News, “with a hand in everything from finances to operational planning. He was also the organization's prime conduit to Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri. He was key to al Qaeda's command and control.” Interestingly, Al-Masri/Al-Yazid had reportedly tried to dissuade Bin Laden from launching the Sept. 11 attacks, because he feared the American response.