Both U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen maintain that the delay didn't signal any kind of dispute within al-Qaeda, and Mullen reiterated U.S. death threats toward al-Zawahiri.
Både USA's forsvarsminister Robert Gates samt formanden for værnscheferne Mike Mullen har dog fastholdt at forsinkelsen ikke viser tegn på splittelse i al-Qaeda, og Mullen gentog samme dag sine dødstrusler mod Zawahiri.