The Strange Math of al Qaeda

What's the chance?

Al-Libi was described as a senior al Qaeda leader believed to have plotted and executed attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, including a February 2007 bombing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney.

He was on a "most wanted" list of 12 accused terrorists which was issued in October by the Combined Joint Task Force-82 -- an anti-terror unit in Afghanistan.

Earlier, a knowledgeable Western official and a military source confirmed al-Libi's death to CNN. The same official said al-Libi is "not far below the importance of the top two al Qaeda leaders" -- Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

So, let's see ... not far below the top two - would that make him another number three? Granted, every time we eliminate a number three, number four is going to get promoted but what are the odds that we always get the number three guy? Either al Qaeda has experienced some truly bizarre exponential growth or we ought to take this show to Vegas; we'd make a killing.