Habib's rise reflected disarray in a depleted leadership, the European official said. Intelligence officials believe the Egyptian shared operational control with bosses identified as Abdullah Said al Libi and Osama al Timi, the official said.
"There were suggestions that Habib had taken over as the head of Al Qaeda military operations," he said. "But we believe there was a more complicated setup in which he was part of a leadership team. . . . They are having genuine problems replacing some of these top individuals. They are trying out different formulas."
In 2005, Bin Laden appointed Habib commander of military operations in Afghanistan, said the official and Rohan Gunaratna, a Singapore-based terrorism expert. A close friend of Zawahiri, Habib was considered an "able commander," but "much less inspiring" than more powerful chiefs who have since been killed or captured, said Gunaratna, who has had access to intelligence and captured militants.
In 2006, Habib played a role in talks with tribesmen in the region to ensure a refuge for Al Qaeda, Gunaratna said. The network operates in the part of South Waziristan where he died, under the protection of Baitullah Mahsud, a prominent Taliban chief, officials say.
In addition to inflicting the high-ranking casualties, U.S. and Pakistani military pressure appears to have slowed Al Qaeda's propaganda and communications activities on the Internet, the European official said. Anti-terrorism experts are waiting to see whether Bin Laden issues a video before Tuesday's U.S. presidential election, as he did in 2004.
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sebastian.rotella@latimes.com
laura.king@latimes.com
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Special correspondent Zulfiqar Ali in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
