U.S. Weighing Assassination In Terror Fight

New York Daily News ^ | 12/17/01 | AP

[kattracks]

U.S. military and government officials are secretly debating whether the U.S. war on terrorism should include plots to assassinate terror leaders before they can strike America, it was reported yesterday.

The Bush administration is also said to be considering a covert plan to send U.S. troops to help topple Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

The assassination issue has been discussed very delicately by key officials, Newsweek reported.

Officials at National Security Council meetings never use the word assassination directly — and don't discuss targeting specific individuals, the magazine says.

Instead, the talk is of whether to take out "command and control" outposts or strike "strategically decisive blows" against heads of terror cells.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Newsweek the CIA has been "given the go-ahead by presidential order to untie their hands and take the shackles off" in the fight against terrorists.

Nevertheless, says Shelby, "As far as sending in a hit team to take these guys out, I don't know about that."

But a Pentagon official said many in Washington see that as "inevitable."

"Terrorist organizations are not about buildings. They are not about weapons. They are, at their core, about human beings," the official said, "and usually not that many."

Meanwhile, The New Yorker reported that a new war plan for Iraq is now the subject of furious debate within the Bush Administration.

Iraqi opposition forces, led by the Iraqi National Congress, have "given the Bush administration an updated war plan, which calls not only for bombing but for the deployment of thousands of American Special Forces troops," says writer Seymour Hersh.

The plan also would involve neighboring Iran, which supposedly has agreed to allow opposition forces and U.S. troops to enter Iraq from its borders.

One defense analyst said the American success in Afghanistan would be used as a model for the Iraq campaign.

"They believe they have found the perfect model, and it works," the analyst told the magazine. The model is bombing, a modest insertion of Special Forces, plus an uprising."

[BellStar]

Why do we publish this stuff. Where is the editors who know loose lips sink ships of the media.

[Caipirabob]

My question is "Are they only going to use this outside of American soil?"

Our home grown terrorists seem to be focused on gridlocking the Senate these days.

[aye_am_mr_burns]

violence is the only language these cowards speak. It is time to show them that we are well versed in the language

[G.Mason]

< " The assassination issue has been discussed very delicately by key officials, Newsweek reported." >

Yes....when the administration has talks about assassination they do it in a most sophisticated and elegant way.

However.......

< "....The New Yorker reported that a new war plan for Iraq is now the subject of furious debate within the Bush Administration." >

When the same administration deals with the Iraq situation they bring "brass knuckles" to beat each other senseless.

Hmmm....I must be missing something here.

[Gracey]

IMO, someone is just blowing wind. Semour Hirsch, what a loser. He's not gotten anything right in this war, so far.

[Gracey]

Our leftist Terrorists are of the worse kind, for the long term.

[Gracey]

As someone said, it's just babble, by our home grow "terrorists," leftist... including many in the media, and in our congress.

[weikel]

I don't understand why this is even a debate track em and whack em.

[kinghorse]

One of my kids wore a Seymour Hirsch mask for Halloween. Scary.

[blam]

"Hmmm....I must be missing something here."

I'm guessing that 'heads of states' are still off the table for asassination.

[blam]

"I don't understand why this is even a debate track em and whack em."

I agree. Long over due. (Why should they be allowed to sneak around and kill us but we can't?)

[SusanUSA]

Bump to keep it on my radar screen. Thanks.

[WIMom]

"The Bush administration is also said to be considering a covert plan to send U.S. troops to help topple Saddam Hussein in Iraq."

Let's announce it to the world. This article is full of 'sources say' but no direct quotes or facts are presented other than Shelby stating their hands are untied.

[veronica]

BTTT.

Targeted killings WORK. In Israel, and by the USA. Bad guys deserve no less. Bad news for trial lawyers but good news for everyone else.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

It works for Israel.

If we take out Saddam at least we can get out of the Gulf and remove one reason for pissing the people there off.

[Colt .45]

Assassination? Works for me! Its high time we take off the kid gloves and start smacking the piss out of these little third world dictators who are getting too big for their britches. Of course the Socialist left in this country will scream bloody murder, but in the long run if we don't do it to them, they will continue to exploit our openness. We need to send a clear cut message around the world ... "Don't MESS WITH US! Don't come picking fights, and don't mess with our freedom! This we will defend!

[NC Conservative]

Nothing to weigh except your options. Head shot to the left side or head shot to the right side. BOOM!!