In November 2001, al-Qaeda military commander Mohammed “Atef was killed in a U.S. Predator drone strike. Atef, a former Egyptian policeman, was one of the most hard-line members of al-Qaeda. …The loss of al-Qaeda’s military commander was a blow to the organization, since it was Atef who had performed as bin Laden’s chief executive officer, and had worked around the clock to manage al-Qaeda’s personnel, operations, and cash flow.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Peter Bergen, The Longest War, Page 62