He was the operational planner whose collection of route maps and reports were used by Charles XII to prepare for the campaign of Poland and Russia.

The effort focused operations against the two leaders and the seven senior operational planners.

"So the operational planners have maintained," Kirel said.

The Americans describe him as a "key terrorist recruiter and operational planner and member of Osama Bin Laden's inner circle".

These "runners" formed part of a wider torch security team which consisted of motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, senior officers and operational planners.

Unmovic inspectors include weapons specialists drawn from the military; scientists like biochemists; and engineers and operational planners.

Abu Zubaydah was a "key terrorist recruiter and operational planner and member of Osama bin Laden's inner circle."

The operational planners initially assumed that the Arab force consisted of less than one company and the MPs were new recruits who had not yet completed basic training.

While Mr. DeNero, 45, has worked with retail clients during his tenure at McKinsey, he said he had been hired for his skills as a strategic and operational planner.

Directly after 9/11 he was sent to US Central Command, Tampa, as an operational planner for the conflict in Afghanistan.