Al-Qaeda Gunmen Fail to Answer Pakistani Negotiators (So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, good night)

Bloomberg ^ | 3.24.04

[ambrose]

March 24 (Bloomberg) -- Suspected al-Qaeda fighters under siege in northwestern Pakistan failed to respond to tribal negotiators seeking their surrender, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a Pakistani military spokesman.

A group a tribal elders delivered the surrender demand on Monday to about 500 fighters holding out in the South Waziristan region on the border with Pakistan, Major General Shaukat Sultan, said, according to AFP. The fighters said they would ``discuss with their leaders and then respond,'' Sultan said yesterday. ``Their response is awaited,'' he said.

[ambrose]

There's a sad sort of clanging
From the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too,
And up in the nurs'ry an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say "coocoo".

Regretfully they tell us,
But firmly they compel us
To say goodby to you.

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, good night,
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.
So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, adieu,
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu.

So long, farewell, Au'voir, auf wiedersehn,
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, goodbye,
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye,
Good bye

I'm glad to go,
I cannot tell a lie.
I flit, I float,
I fleetly flee, I fly.

The sun has gone to bed and so must I
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye,
Goodbye,
Goodbye,
Goodbye!

[tet68]

Hello, I must be going.
I came to say,I cannot stay,I must be going.

The Terrs are gonna need some calomel after this.

[Mike Darancette]

Al-Qaeda Gunmen have won, their big wig has made good his escape. The gunmen will surrender and be sent home to their various countries of origin.

[Azzurri]

Suspected al-Qaeda fighters under siege in northwestern Pakistan failed to respond...

Failed to respond? Yeah, because they all took off in the tunnels while the Pakis "waited" to hear back. What a farce. I hope we have learned from our lesson (again) and the next time a MOAB will drop on them while they are scurrying thru their tunnels like rats.

[Jalapeno]

The Pakistani military said more than 40 soldiers are dead and others are missing since it began the military operation near the town of Wana last week.

I think all of that could have been avoided if they just let us have the daisy cutters perform a few fly-bys....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ping!

[vp_cal]

my thoughts exactly- but it will be spun to sound like a victory

[Coop]

Al-Qaeda Gunmen have won, their big wig has made good his escape. The gunmen will surrender and be sent home to their various countries of origin.

Perhaps I should start a manure meter of how many ridiculous posts like yours we see over the next few days. You have no idea if a high-value target was ever there, you have no idea if said HVT is still there, and you apparently have no idea how many terrorists have already been captured or killed in this operation or how much their infrastructure has been disrupted and compromised.

I'll take Al Qaeda "wins" like this every day of the week, thank you very much.

[Coop]

I'm sure you meant to say this victory will be spun to sound like a defeat.

[Mike Darancette]

I'll take Al Qaeda "wins" like this every day of the week, thank you very much.

This same scenario was repeated many times over during the Afghan stage of the war against the Taliban. Bad guys surrounded, cease fire and talks then bad guys gone. Muslims do not like to capture other Muslims.

As to whether a HVT was ever or is present what does it matter? We do not have him.

[Coop]

What we do have is yet another terrorist encampment disrupted and hopefully destroyed.

What we do have is a strong message to the terrorists and their enablers.

We do have captured weapons and important sources of intelligence.

We do have many foreign terrorists captured or killed, including six bodies taken for DNA analysis for unknown reasons. Five of those bodies were shown to the press - all males estimated to be 25-35 years of age (al-Zawahiri is 52, IIRC). The sixth body was not shown - officials said it was too decomposed for viewing. So they either dug up a body - not likely unless they felt it was a VIP, or there's another reason they don't want anyone to see this body.

[vp_cal]

no it really is a non-victory for us.

They trapped the one of the top 4 al queda (according to
musharref) and could easily have captured him.

But instead the Pakistanis tried to negotiate, and
this gave them a chance to escape through the tunnels.

next time, just drop a MOAB on them- no need to talk.

[swarthyguy]

All HVT's targets have escaped.

The Paki military has shed blood in its fight against the jihadis, ironically, some of whom may even have trained in camps run by the Pakistani Army in Kashmir.

The tribes have been alienated and are PO'ed.

Somebody made sure this operation failed.

Mush has egg on his face; the army's prestige is damaged.

Looks like the jihadis won another round.

[Coop]

They trapped the one of the top 4 al queda (according to musharref) and could easily have captured him.

You have absolutely no idea whether or not there was a high-value target in the compound or whether that target, if there, was al-Zawahiri... or even a member of Al Qaeda.

You really should read more and post less.