U.S. tries to identify target of airstrike - February 10, 2002

[NNN0LHI]

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/central/02/10/ret.afghanistan.search/

February 10, 2002

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A military investigative team has found "forensic evidence" that could determine whether a recent U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan killed top al Qaeda officials, the U.S. Central Command said Sunday.

About 50 U.S. soldiers and forensics experts have been searching the scene in Zawar Kili, situated in a remote part of southeastern Afghanistan, where an armed CIA drone scored a direct hit Monday on a group suspected to be top al Qaeda officials.

The Monday attack has drawn widespread speculation that bin Laden might have been among those in the group, since the men on the ground were described as wearing white robes and one of them was tall, as is bin Laden.

Asked at a briefing last week whether evidence suggested the man suspected of orchestrating the September 11 attacks was among those killed, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, "We just simply have no idea" -- but he would not rule out the possibility.

[jobycom]

1. They attacked that group because one of the men was "tall" and UBL is tall

They had no other reason to suspect he was Bin Laden.

[Eric J in MN]

2. No accountability. People who make decisions like that

have their names kept secret, even though we, the taxpayers, pay their salaries.

[jobycom]

4. They trick the public by announcing the story as a great victory.

"We just got UBL!" or "We just got the number three or two guy of Al-Qaeda!" Then they follow up with a "Ooooo, we almost had him that time," when what they really mean is "One of our informants claimed UBL was there because the owner of the house once insulted the informant's brother's wife, and he used us for revenge."

No accountability, and a corrupt media to cover for them. The Soviets and the Nazis did it that way, too.

[NNN0LHI]

7. As far as we know these people could be small time drug traffickers...

...cutting into the CIAs ongoing heroin operation.

Don

[uppityperson]

3. Aren't they supposed to identify the target BEFORE they bomb them?

Ooooo

Tall guy?

check

White robe?

check

Bombs away!!!





Now, let's go see who it was.

[jobycom]

5. Only rich white targets. nt.

[Eric J in MN]

9. I agree. The vague view the CIA is getting from the air

with the Predator drones isn't enough that that they should be launching missiles killing multiple people.

[JohnnyRingo]

6. We have little intel of the location of terrorists in Pakistan, so we

try to detect movements from the Afghani border.
Pakistan is a safe house for terror....because they're our friends.

"Any government that supports, protects or harbours terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes."
George W. Bush

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgewbu146548.html

I don't think anyone's really looking for terrorists.

[cantstandbush]

8. Zargarwi waiting in the wings for US to declare him dead before he

comes out with another video.