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| India-Pakistan |
| U.S. missile strikes take heavy toll on Al Qaeda |
| 2009-03-22 |
| An intense, six-month campaign of Predator strikes in Pakistan has taken such a toll on Al Qaeda that militants have begun turning violently on one another out of confusion and distrust, U.S. intelligence and counter-terrorism officials say. OODA loop problems? The pace of the Predator attacks has accelerated dramatically since August, when the Bush administration made a previously undisclosed decision to abandon the practice of obtaining permission from the Pakistani government before launching missiles from the unmanned aircraft. August. What else happened in August? Since Aug. 31, the CIA has carried out at least 38 Predator strikes in northwest Pakistan, compared with 10 reported attacks in 2006 and 2007 combined, in what has become the CIA's most expansive targeted killing program since the Vietnam War. Because of its success, the Obama administration is set to continue the accelerated campaign despite civilian casualties that have fueled anti-U.S. sentiment and prompted protests from the Pakistani government. U.S. intelligence officials said they see clear signs that the Predator strikes are sowing distrust within Al Qaeda. "They have started hunting down people who they think are responsible" for security breaches, the senior U.S. counter-terrorism official said, discussing intelligence assessments on condition of anonymity. "People are showing up dead or disappearing." The counter-terrorism official and others, who also spoke anonymously, said the U.S. assessments were based in part on reports from the region provided by the Pakistani intelligence service. That's one way to pop a balloon. Lots more at the link. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #9 Tin foil hats could save a lot of AQ lives but they think it's unIslamic. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2009-03-22 19:07 |
| #8 Not heavy enough. |
| Posted by: Last Breath Farm Resident 2009-03-22 17:27 |
| #7 I'm not sure the capability exists. Perhaps the LAT is pushing black info for Banbi's CIA. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-03-22 17:12 |
| #6 enabled the CIA to confirm the identities of targets even when they are inside buildings and can't be seen through the Predator's lens. I'm sure the NYT called them up beforehand to let the enemy know this capability *spit* |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-03-22 17:05 |
| #5 Predators were originally designed as video surveillance aircraft that could hover over a target from high altitudes. But new models are outfitted with additional intelligence gear that has enabled the CIA to confirm the identities of targets even when they are inside buildings and can't be seen through the Predator's lens. Utter coolness! Or kewlness, I'm not particular. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-03-22 15:35 |
| #4 They need to bring this capability to bear against the cartels south of the border, if it were an option, and utilized as a surprise part of an escalating package, the snake could be rapidly decapitated. |
| Posted by: Spiny Gl 2511 2009-03-22 12:52 |
| #3 BO is now in office and what was verboten under GWB is now acceptable? I haven't seen many signs in the MSM of the honeymoon being over. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-03-22 10:07 |
| #2 the CIA's most expansive targeted killing program since the Vietnam War Are we missing anything? Wait a sec.... umm... how about... the CIA's most expansive targeted killing program since the Nixon Administration's Vietnam War, the same war that saw the Kent State protests, the illegal Cambodian Invasion and bizzarely marked Neptunes full of proto-neo-cons doing bad things to good people. There. Dot's better. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2009-03-22 09:41 |
| #1 An intense, six-month campaign of Predator strikes in Pakistan has taken such a toll on Al Qaeda that militants have begun turning violently on one another out of confusion and distrust, U.S. intelligence and counter-terrorism officials say. Jeebus, the MSM sure did demonize GWB while he was in office. Wonders never cease. The LA Times reports some good news. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-03-22 09:35 |