WARSAW, July 16: Al Qaeda’s number two was trained by Russia’s secret service and served as a KGB agent before becoming Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man, a former KGB secret agent told Poland’s Rzeczpospolita newspaper on Saturday.

“Ayman al Zawahiri trained at a Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB) base in Dagestan in 1998,” claimed ex-FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who fled Russia in 2000.

“He was then transferred to Afghanistan where he became Osama bin Laden’s deputy”, Mr Litvinenko told the newspaper.

“I was working in that section at the time and I can confirm the fact Zawahiri was not the only link between the FSB and Al Qaeda,” he said. —AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Last call
Updated 15 Nov, 2024

Last call

PTI should hardly be turning its "final" protest into a "do or die" occasion.
Mini budget talk
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Mini budget talk

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Diabetes challenge
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Diabetes challenge

AMONGST the many public health challenges confronting Pakistan, diabetes arguably does not get the attention it...
China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...