Report: Head Of Al Qaeda In Yemen Killed
TAPPER: We have some breaking news in our World Lead today, reports that the head of al Qaeda in Yemen, long considered one of the biggest threats to the U.S. national security, has been killed. Let's get right to CNN's Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Barbara, what exactly do we know about this man, Nasir Al-Wuhayshi's reported death?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, right now, the U.S. is not confirming anything, but Yemeni officials, and a number of social media sites that are usually very reliable about al Qaeda information are saying that Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the head of al Qaeda in Yemen has been killed in a suspected drone strike. To be clear, the U.S. is not confirming that, but if Wuhayshi is dead, this is a significant blow to what the U.S. has long considered the most violent threatening element of al Qaeda in Yemen. They have vowed to attack the United States. Their master bombmaker, a man named Al-Asiri, not being caught, still alive by all accounts. If Wuhayshi is dead, what about him? Will he try again to reach out? They are said to be responsible for the Christmas day bombing attempt on a U.S. airliner in 2009. Said to be response for the bombs that are set to look like printer cartridges on board airliners. They have a very long record of being able and trying to reach out and attack the United States. So if Wuhayshi is dead, a significant blow to the organization, he's responsible for targeting and financing, but the question right now is what about their bomb maker -- Jake.</s>TAPPER: All right, Barbara Starr, as you point out, a lot of talk about ISIS, but a lot of national security officials in the United States still think AQAP in Yemen the bigger threat to the homeland right now. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you so much. Coming up, two teenagers attacked by sharks just minutes apart on the same stretch of a beach in North Carolina, one expert telling it's very likely the same shark went after both teens. So why have the officials not closed that beach? We will go to that beach live, next.