Bin Laden son reportedly killed by drone

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence officials think Osama bin Laden's son and potential heir in the al-Qaida organization was killed this year by a Predator missile strike in Pakistan.

Saad bin Laden has been portrayed as the bin Laden son who was closest to his father and most involved in the al-Qaida terrorist network's activities. But he never was seen as an operational leader.

"There are some indications that he may be dead, but it's not 100 percent certain," said a U.S. counterterrorism official. "If he is dead, Saad bin Laden was a small player with a big name. He has never been a major operational figure." The official declined to provide details of the missile strike or discuss the evidence suggesting the younger bin Laden may have been killed.

U.S. intelligence officials typically rely on communications intercepts, prisoner interrogations and statements on jihadist Web sites.

Though many in the intelligence community believe he is dead, they can't be certain because no body or DNA evidence was recovered to prove it, another intelligence official said.

The United States has carried out more than 45 missile attacks with drones in Pakistan's border region since last August, most targeting foreign al-Qaida militants and those accused of violence in neighboring Afghanistan. Saad bin Laden was not the target of the strike, but rather was killed during a strike intended for someone else, National Public Radio (NPR) reported, quoting unidentified officials.

According to the book, "The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century" by Steve Coll, Osama bin Laden has at least 23 children by several wives.

Saad bin Laden, believed to be 27, returned to Pakistan last year after being held under a form of house arrest in Iran for more than six years.

U.S. intelligence officials have said they were unable to determine whether the younger bin Laden escaped or was released by the Iranian government. It also was unclear whether he had reunited with his father, the elusive al-Qaida leader behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Largely because of his family name, experts had speculated that Saad bin Laden might be groomed for a leadership role in al-Qaida.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced financial sanctions against the younger bin Laden this year, describing him as someone who "made key decisions for al-Qaida." Saad bin Laden's apparent death was first reported by NPR.

Material from The New York Times and The Associated Press is included in this report.