U.S. Strike Killed Al Qaeda Bomb Maker

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U.S. Strike Killed Al Qaeda Bomb Maker
Terror Big Also Trained 'Shoe Bomber,' Moussaoui

Midhat Mursi
This reward poster released by the U.S. government's Rewards for Justice program, shows Egyptian chemist Midhat Mursi, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri. The U.S. government has posted a $5 million reward this year for the capture of the alleged al Qaeda bomb maker. (Rewards for Justice Program)
By HABIBULLAH KHAN and BRIAN ROSS
Jan. 18, 2006 — ABC News has learned that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.
Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of three known al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit conference in the village of Damadola.

The United States had posted a $5 million reward for Mursi's capture. He is described by U.S. authorities as the man who ran al Qaeda's infamous Derunta training camp in Afghanistan, where he used dogs and other animals as subjects of experiments with poison and chemicals.
"This is extraordinarily important," said former FBI agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant, who was the senior agent on the FBI's al Qaeda squad. "He's the man who trained the shoe bomber, Richard Reid and Zacharias Mousssaoui, as well as hundreds of others."
Pakistani authorities tell ABC News they have confirmation that Mursi was among those on the guest list for the late-night meeting. The authorities say al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was also expected to attend but apparently changed his mind.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1517986