An October Surprise in Pakistan?

[L. Coyote]

September 22, 10:08 AM
An October Surprise in Pakistan?
By Scott Horton - http://harpers.org/archive/2008/09/hbc-90003588


This morning, the Associated Press is reporting what is now an almost regular occurrence:

Pakistani troops and tribesmen opened fire on two U.S. helicopters ....

... There is one plausible explanation for the latest friction: the Bush Administration has given orders to go all out–helicopter gunships, air strikes, predator drones, and ground-based forces–through the end of the year in an attempt to apprehend or kill Osama bin Laden and other senior Al Qaeda leaders.......

Two other points. First is the obvious proximity of the U.S. elections. The Bush Administration is hoping for an “October surprise” that will lift the tides of the Republican candidates just in time for Election Day. That explains why the extraordinary effort is undertaken now, and why the sensitivities of the U.S.-Pakistani relationship are being ignored. The second is a study in contrasts. For seven years ...

[Vogon_Glory]

1. The Trouble Is That al Qaeda Is Smarter Than The Rethugs

My concern is that al Qaeda has proved itself to be far smarter than the Rethugs. Al Qaeda LIKES having bull-headed idiots running the USA so they can play rope-a-dope with Uncle Sap. That's why they leaked that tape than mentioned John Kerry in 2004; al Qaeda was worried that we might elect somebody smarter than Dubya who could give them a hard time.

I'm worried that they might try an October surprise of their own, either in the USA or someplace where a lot of Americans hang out, so they can buffalo a lot of American voters into voting for McCain and Palin.

:scared:

:patriot:

[arcadian]

4. I seriously doubt that.

Al queda is a fabrication

[Vogon_Glory]

7. Yeah, Sure...

Yeah, sure, al Qaeda is a fabrication. Those East African embassies weren't bombed in 1998, those East Africans didn't die, the USS Cole never got hit with a suicide boat, and the stork leaves babies under cabbage leaves.

:sarcasm:

Al Qaeda was a going concern long before January 20th, 2001 and had been an integral part of the misogynistic, bigoted, theocratic Taliban government of Afghanistan well before the Connecticut Cowboy went to Dee Cee.

I may loathe the rotten regime that's running the Executive Branch, I may detest the Republican Party, but I see no reason to believe that al Qaeda doesn't exist just because Dubya used it as an excuse to go to war because they sucker-punched our two top fools on September 11th, 2001.

[arcadian]

8. I never said it didn't exist.

Only that it exists as a manifestation that your limited scope can not comprehend.

[spanone]

9. they have always been smarter than these morans

[Cirque du So-What]

2. This has been on my mind as well

and there's a possibility that I haven't seen discussed: that Chimpolini weakens the new, fragile government in Pakistan to the extent that Islamic fundamentalists seize the moment and attack - possibly gaining possession of some nuclear weapons.

SURPRISE!

[begin_within]

3. Palin's going over there and shooting Osama bin Laden herself...

...from an airplane.

[Blaze Diem]

5. Oct Surprise is part of Bush's plan. Why the $700 bil. needs to be

hurried through by the end of this week. The recipients need to secure their fortunes in foreign accts before the USA is under attack again. Its in the plan.
The election.
The incredible billion/trillion $$$ bailouts.
The mention recently of Al Qaeda planning a hit on western targets.
The military units being staged back in the US. Wasn't it to practice crowd control?
--------
Bush et.al. would leave this country to rot & die while his "base" loots the last crumb from the cupboard.
Their "Oct Surprise" is already in play.

[kenny blankenship]

6. Must suck knowing that you're being sent into danger and could get your balls blown off

just so a scaly, senile, silver spoon Republican can have his shot at getting elected President.

[readmoreoften]

10. Won't be Pakistan if they're setting up Pakistan. I'll be Libya or Chile (Again)

Or Macedonia or something unexpected. Pakistan's not a surprise.