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India-Pakistan
Zawahiri Was Target in U.S. Attack on Religious School in Pakistan
2006-10-30
Ayman al Zawahiri was the target of a Predator missile attack this morning on a religious school in Pakistan, according to Pakistani intelligence sources.
The raid was launched after U.S. intelligence received tips and examined Predator reconnaissance indicating that al Qaeda's No. 2 man may have been staying at the school, which is located near the village that is thought to be al Qaeda's winter headquarters.
ABC News has learned the raid was launched after U.S. intelligence received tips and examined Predator reconnaissance indicating that al Qaeda's No. 2 man may have been staying at the school, which is located in the Bajaur region near the village that is thought to be al Qaeda's winter headquarters.

Despite earlier reports that the missiles had been launched by Pakistani military helicopters, Pakistani intelligence sources now tell ABC News that the missiles were fired from a U.S. Predator.
Despite earlier reports that the missiles had been launched by Pakistani military helicopters, Pakistani intelligence sources now tell ABC News that the missiles were fired from a U.S. Predator drone plane.
Called that one right, didn't we?
No word yet on whether or not Zawahiri was killed in the raid, but one Pakistani intelligence source did express doubt that Zawahiri would have been staying in a madrassa, which is an obvious target for strikes against militants. That source, however, did express confidence that Pakistani intelligence is closing in on Zawahiri's location. One of the clerics who is believed to have been killed today, Maulana Liaquat, was one of the two main local leaders believed to be protecting Zawahiri.

Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News they believe they have "boxed" Zawahiri in a 40-square-mile area between the Khalozai Valley in Bajaur and the village of Pashat in Kunar, Afghanistan. They hope to capture or kill him in the next few months.
Loyal Rantburger KBK posted the same article seven minutes after this one. Better luck next time ;-)
Posted by:Fred

#34  Now why didn't I think of that!

Are you a lawyer? :-)
Posted by: gorb   2006-10-30 22:49  

#33  This time when they have the funeral we need to smoke it as well.

Now why didn't I think of that!
Posted by: Zenster   2006-10-30 22:10  

#32  "a lot of what's being reported is probably being made up along the way"
Yeah, AS, but wait for the photos. Photos don't lie.
/Reuters joke off
Posted by: Darrell   2006-10-30 19:34  

#31  how about we leak the news that 5 or 6 prominent imans have been giving intel to the US

we could also let it leak that a we have agents in a dozen of the madrassas
Posted by: mhw   2006-10-30 19:26  

#30  What intelligence leaked out?

We've heard people saying it was a UAV, and a helo... a bunch of conflicting reports on targets and other stuff... but nothing reliable.

It sounds to me that a lot of what's being reported is probably being made up along the way.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2006-10-30 19:23  

#29  Interesting that such intelligence leaked out. I mean, what possible purpose could it serve our side for the Z man to know that we are ready to trigger him ASAP?
Posted by: Anonymoose   2006-10-30 19:17  

#28  Sounds like a small 10 year reunion celebration.
Hi, were the Class of 2006- table for 1 please.
Posted by: Capsu 78   2006-10-30 19:10  

#27  Latest from an NBC stringer here.

He's sayin' helos, not UAVs. He's also predicting "big demonstrations" tomorrow. Whoopee!
Posted by: Parabellum   2006-10-30 19:04  

#26  The upshot of Taleban/al-Qaeda's "Winter Campaign" has been hundreds of killings of jihadis, and captives ratting out their tenders. And the rats, all gave "blood oaths" to Mullah Omar, if not bin Laden.
Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550   2006-10-30 18:57  

#25  "This time when they have the funeral we need to smoke it as well."

Nah. Somebody might mistake such an effort for an act of honest-to-goodness war.
Posted by: Crusader   2006-10-30 18:42  

#24  This time when they have the funeral we need to smoke it as well.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2006-10-30 18:10  

#23  I heard it on the news, we bombed a religious school and 80 students and teachers reported killed.

Of course. How else would the "press" report it?
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-10-30 18:05  

#22   kill em all
Posted by: Oztralian   2006-10-30 17:57  

#21   "but one Pakistani intelligence source did express doubt that Zawahiri would have been staying in a madrassa, which is an obvious target for strikes against militants."

So the ISA are wholeheartedly admitting that madrassas are the recruiting ground for Islamic Terrorism.
Posted by: pihkalbadger   2006-10-30 17:54  

#20  I heard it on the news, we bombed a religious school and 80 students and teachers reported killed.
Posted by: wxjames   2006-10-30 17:49  

#19  "but one Pakistani intelligence source did express doubt that Zawahiri would have been staying in a madrassa, which is an obvious target for strikes against militants."

Given the above quote, 20 bucks says he's hiding in a madrassa...
Posted by: Mark E.   2006-10-30 17:07  

#18  From The Blotter ( http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/10/zawahiri_was_ta.html):


"One of the clerics who is believed to have been killed today, Maulana Liaquat, was one of the two main local leaders believed to be protecting Zawahiri."

From our lips to God's ears - that the mad mullahs should start paying a price for protecting these monsters. You want to enjoy your perverted faith in privacy and leave us alone, fine - but by God, you want to protect those who attacked us and you will have nowhere to run.

Mike

Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-10-30 16:40  

#17  LOL, AC!
Posted by: fmr mil contractor   2006-10-30 16:13  

#16  It's my understanding that the Muslim stooge and noted adulterer Prince Charles is in Pakistan as we speak, along with his consort, Snaggle-tooth of the Weed-Hair.

No doubt the British leftist rags, led by Al Guardian, will develop an un-characteristic concern for royal dignity and denounce the US for clouding the festivities with this unconscionable attack on a peaceful schoolhouse.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2006-10-30 16:03  

#15  40 square miles sounds small enough to be in the primary blast zone of a B83. What's the delay?
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2006-10-30 15:39  

#14  Photo of Zawahiri before impact.

Posted by: DarthVader   2006-10-30 15:26  

#13  How many regiments to box in each of the six-mile-long sides of the square, and how much to search the square?
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2006-10-30 15:18  

#12  Doesn't sound like a really intensive search effort to me.

When has it ever been?
Posted by: Zenster   2006-10-30 15:17  

#11  They hope to capture or kill him in the next few months.

Um, they've got him boxed in a 40-sq mile area, you say? And it's going to take several months to find him or kill him. you say?

Let's see...square root of 40 is 6.32 - so, what you're saying is that it's going to take several months to search an area 6.32 miles on each side - or about the front coverage in combat of a regiment?

Doesn't sound like a really intensive search effort to me.

Posted by: FOTSGreg   2006-10-30 15:14  

#10  Hey, y'all. Look on the bright side.

WE'RE INSIDE PAKISTAN DEMOLISHING OCCUPIED MADRASSAHS.

It doesn't get much better than that.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-10-30 15:11  

#9  Truth, AS, truth. PakiWakiLand, it's like a whole 'nuther reality.
Posted by: .com   2006-10-30 15:10  

#8  .com, if it had been successful, they'd be talking about how they even invented the helicopter and the missile.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2006-10-30 15:09  

#7  Well, my intuition tells me that it was probably a miss, thus they are giving "credit" to us.

Had it been a successful hit, then I wager they would've found a way to weasel credit, regardless of their contribution.
Posted by: .com   2006-10-30 15:05  

#6  Stand by for incessant horseshit saying the US waited till now for an October surprise.

Or if we somehow missed, that we were trying a hail mary and killed innocent boys.

I'm going to assume the hit was good, and thus start celebrating early.

Posted by: Penguin   2006-10-30 15:03  

#5  Lol, AS! I fear you've hit upon the flaw, lol.
Posted by: .com   2006-10-30 15:03  

#4  Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News they believe they have "boxed" Zawahiri in a 40-square-mile area between the Khalozai Valley in Bajaur and the village of Pashat in Kunar, Afghanistan. They hope to capture or kill him in the next few months.

Oh no, not "surrounded" again...
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2006-10-30 15:00  

#3  He is already a dead man walking.
Posted by: closedanger@hotmail.com   2006-10-30 14:57  

#2  Calling the 24-48hr rule

But lets hope so Zarwahiri is a sereous threat his experience cool headed tactics would be sorley missed and hard pressed to replace in AQ. A major victory way overshadowing Zark's card.
Posted by: C-Low   2006-10-30 14:35  

#1  Here's hoping they nailed that goat faced wimp.
Posted by: DanNY   2006-10-30 14:29  

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