Posted on 02/29/2008 10:09:56 AM PST by gandalftb
The source is unfamiliar to me, but here’s a FWIW ping
That's a pretty good guess. The Predator only carries 2 Hellfires, max. So either there was more than 1 Predator tasked (doubtful), there was a fast-mover in the area (probably not), or the Predator was just doing BDA after spotting the get-together (likely).
Wonder what the turnaround time would be on a cruise missile strike?
Cook, rughead.
I would love to hear of Gadahn’s ascension to “paradise”, but I was looking forward to personally kicking his ass if he ever retruned to So. Cal.
Oh well.
We haven't done a three missile strike in a very long time, Zawahiri only rated two Hellfires last year.
I think we were taking no chances. RUMINT is buttoned up tight all over so I will check again in a few hours and repost.
BTW, 13 Afghans reported wounded in a dorm next to the madrassa, most of the windows broken for over a km. around.
Later.
GO GET EM....How about congress GO GET EM HERE, INSIDE OUR BORDERS and provide the funding to do so....dreaming aren’t I?
Asia Times is on this strike, good background info:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JC01Df01.html
Sources are down, it’s nightime over there, maybe more very late today.
I trust that everything you are telling us is unclassified.
this is great news. We are now beginning to hit Waziristan and are not being sheepish about madrassas.
Also, I just love unmanned US Predator drones.
I just posted this on another thread- seems relevant to your’s as well..
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/
Did a U.S. Airstrike Get The Big Z?
Media reports describe another U.S. airstrike within Pakistan, targeting a home that was a suspected Taliban safe house with foreign fighters.
Bill Roggio notes, “One report indicates an “al Qaeda fugitive from Egypt” was among those killed, sparking rumors that Ayman al Zawahiri was the target of the strike.”
But before we break out the party hats, Roggio also notes, “several senior Egyptian members of al Qaeda are known to operate in Pakistan’s tribal areas. These include Abu Khabab al Masri, Abu Ubaidah al Masri, Abdul Rahman al Masri al Maghribi, and Sheikh Essa. Abu Khabab, Abu Ubaidah, and Maghribi were believed to have been killed in the January 2006 Damadola airstrike but the reports were false.”
Keep your fingers crossed.
UPDATE: Two interesting items from the Asia Times, if true. One, allegedly the Predator drone came from Peshawar Airfield, making this a joint Pakistan-NATO operation. Two, the building was allegedly a militant compound disguised as a madrassa.
Campaign angle in all this? Well, the Democrats have looked increasingly silly, and have taken flak from non-conservative, clear-eyed observers of the war in Iraq (like the Washington Post) for insisting that the war is lost, no matter how much progress is made on the ground in Iraq. Another key part of both Hillary and Obama’s playbooks is endlessly moaning, “we’ve forgotten the real war, we’re losing the war in Afghanistan, we’ve been distracted from al-Qaeda.” Democrats looked silly when they claimed the Iraq buildup was distracting from fighting al-Qaeda, just as the U.S. and Pakistan captured Khalid Sheik Mohammed.
02/29 12:39 PM
Fascinating info, keep it coming, as appropriate...
more here...you may get to streak:)
Sounds like the events in Pakistan have given Musharraf reason to let us act there. I guess it keeps the bad guys busy on stuff besides plotting the takeover of Pakistan. Note there haven't been wails of anguish coming from the government.
Bin Lalden hide out?
(in unison) “Another strike, altogether”
Oh God please please let it be Zawahiri. Fingers crossed
WOW, great article. Barry, Harry, Hilarity, Pelosi, Murtha and Woofie are huddling in the “situation” room right now....someone pass them a roll, please.
I'm sure that these Predator-carried Hellfires have a special warhead replacing the standard package. But this sounds like bigger warheads than 1 or 2 Hellfires can carry. All the evidence points to a cruise missle strike.
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