But not that hopeful.
US broadcaster CBS said it had obtained an intercepted letter from a Pakistani Taliban commander requesting urgent medical help for Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. Pakistan's military said it had no information about the report.
Chief Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said: "There is no evidence or information in this regard. We have no reliable information."
Al-Zawahiri has been mistakenly reported killed before in the remote and hostile area where he is believed to be hiding along with other surviving al-Qaeda leaders.
Many intelligence officials believe the Egyptian doctor has always been the real brains behind Al-Qaeda. He was a key planner of the September 11th attacks. Intelligence sources in Washington told The Sunday Telegraph last year that he has been the group's de facto leader for the last two years, chairing meetings which were formerly presided over by Osama bin Laden who may now be in poor health.
It is believed that al-Zawahiri may have been hit in a strike by an unmanned drone on July 28 which killed Midhat al-Sayid Umar, an Egyptian chemical weapons expert with a $5 million bounty on his head who was considered one of the most dangerous men in the terrorist organisation.
CBS is reporting that an intercepted letter, which is supposedly authentic, is saying that Al-Qaeda's #2 guy is injured gravely, and may be dying. You'll recognize him from the photo below.
Now, certainly, I would be welcoming this news if true, but let's face it, we've heard reports of him being killed all the time. I want concrete evidence of his death.
CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan exclusively reported Friday that CBS News had obtained a copy of an intercepted letter dated July 29 from unnamed sources in Pakistan, which urgently requested a doctor to treat Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant.
The letter was purportedly from Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and said al-Zawahiri is in "severe pain" and his "injuries are infected." It was dated July 29 - one day after a U.S. air strike that killed al Qaeda weapons expert Abu Khabab al-Masri and five other Arabs in South Waziristan, reported Logan.
Mehsud's signature and seal were visible on the letter along with the Taliban logo. Experts confirmed to CBS News that the logo and Mehsud's seal were legitimate.
Here's a video report from CBS.
Although, we haven't heard from "Adam the American" in Al-Qaeda propaganda videos in a LONG time. There's rumors we killed him as well, and that rumor appears to be true.
Here's to hoping! :)
Travis
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