Biden Told Obama and Bush About al-Zawahiri Strike Before It Was Announced, but Not Trump

The Biden administration informed former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush of the airstrike that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri before it was announced publicly, a National Security Council spokesman told the Washington Examiner. Officials did not reach out to former President Donald Trump.

Al Zawahiri, the U.S. government’s most wanted man, was taken out last weekend while on a balcony inside his Kabul, Afghanistan-based safehouse. The 71-year-old Egyptian, who was described as Osama bin Laden’s 9/11 deputy and eventual successor, was living in wealthy neighborhood, which senior administration officials accused the Taliban of being aware of early last week. The CIA launched two deadly Hellfire missiles at the balcony, killing al Zawahiri as his family was inside.

Without specifying who spoke to either of the two former commanders-in-chief, a NSC spokesman said in a brief statement to the Washington Examiner on Saturday that: “The Biden Administration spoke to Presidents Bush and Obama to notify them about the strike before it was announced publicly.”

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Obama and Bush heard about Trump’s October 2019 strike killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi at the same time as the public. The 45th president also declined to give his predecessors a heads up before announcing that the U.S. had killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in January 2020. Trump has a much colder relationship with the 43rd and 44th presidents compared to his successor.

After Obama took office, he and Bush maintained a cordial relationship despite their political differences. Bush was the first person Obama called after getting confirmation that bin Laden had been killed in a May 2011 raid by Navy SEALs.

A Trump spokesperson did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. The former president has not commented on the al Zawahiri strike, despite repeatedly going off script at his Friday rally and Saturday CPAC address.

News of al Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul has raised questions about the Taliban’s willingness to create an environment that would allow terror groups to rebuild their ranks. Despite this, the White House has touted the strike as a message to other terror leaders in Afghanistan — that the United States can still target them without U.S. troops, even if the Taliban are in control.

It would be highly unlikely for a fugitive of his rank to feel safe enough to casually show his face in Afghanistan’s largest city if he was there without the Taliban’s permission. The Taliban vowed as the U.S withdrew its troops that it would not harbor terrorists. That pledge came at a time when organization leaders were attempting to build a functional government in Kabul, and thus tried to appear more secular for financial purposes. Taliban officials denounced the strike as a violation of the withdrawal agreement and denied accusations it was providing al Zawahiri safe harbor. Biden administration officials, however, have asserted that senior Taliban leaders knew he was in Afghanistan.

The one year anniversary of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan is later this month. Biden assured the public ahead of the pullout that his administration would be able to deal with terrorist threats from the country without troops on the ground.

The al Zawahiri operation has been perceived as a short-term win for so-called over-the-horizon counterterrorism capabilities, or gathering intelligence and conducting strikes without any U.S. military in the failed state. Concerns grew about the lack of in-country surveillance, and thus the potential for future threats, as the August 2021 withdrawal went south.

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Speaking in an address to the nation on Monday, Biden celebrated the success of this counterterrorism mission and stood by his decision to pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan, saying: “Now, justice has been delivered. This terrorist leader is no more.”

“When I ended our military mission in Afghanistan almost a year ago, I made the decision that after 20 years of war, the United States no longer needed thousands of boots on the ground in Afghanistan to protect America from terrorists who seek to do us harm,” the 46th president said. “And I made a promise to the American people that we continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond. We’ve done just that.”

“We make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.”