You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Iraq
Cell phone tracking helped find al-Zarqawi
2006-06-10
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Intelligence from cell phone technology helped U.S. forces find and kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said an Iraqi army colonel Friday in an exclusive interview with CNN. Col. Dhiya Tamimi said he worked with U.S. forces to monitor al-Zarqawi and his associates' cell phones, helping to lead to Wednesday night's airstrike on a safe house near Baquba.
But did they get a FISA Court warrant first?
Posted by:Steve White

#11  They've known we can listen in on and trace their cell phone calls for decades. They continue to use them a)because it's kewl and b)because they haven't any other way to talk to one another at a distance. It's not like there is an Iraqi or Afghani branch of Ma Bell over there.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-06-10 18:40  

#10  Actually, the Japanese changed their Naval code twice during World War II. Each time, the new code was based somewhat on the previous code, and it didn't take long to decript the new codes. Codebreakers were given TWO WEEKS to learn the new codes letter-perfect. The first code change didn't occur until several months after Admiral Yamato was shot down in the south Pacific, and well after Midway.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2006-06-10 17:31  

#9  Col. Dhiya Tamimi said he worked with U.S. forces to monitor al-Zarqawi and his associates' cell phones

Notice they went to a host-nation spokensperson (who could phueching be anybody or nobody at all) and not a US soldier or officer. Another good reason to BAN these MSM donks from theater.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-06-10 16:32  

#8  He went outside to make a cell call?

US to Zaraqawi: CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
Posted by: Grolugum Unorong2138   2006-06-10 08:05  

#7  Was that the origin of "Loose lips sink ships"?
Posted by: HV   2006-06-10 06:33  

#6  Anguper:

Give it time.
Posted by: grb   2006-06-10 02:46  

#5  It's been worse.
"2. "Silent Victory" - Clay Blair. Vol.1 pg 397

"A serious breach of security may have helped the Japanese anti-submarine forces. In June 1943, Congressman Andrew Jackson May, a sixty-eight-year-old member of the House Military Affairs Committee returning from a war zone junket, gave a press interview during which he said, in effect, Don't worry about our submariners; the Japanese are setting their depth charges too shallow. Incredibly, the press associations sent this story over their wires, and many newspapers, including one in Honolulu, thoughtlessly published it.

"Lockwood and his staff were appalled--and furious--at this stupid revelation. Lockwood wrote Admiral Edwards in acid words, "I hear ... Congressman May ... said the Jap depth charges ... are not set deep enough. ... He would be pleased to know the Japs set'em deeper now." And after the war, Lockwood wrote, 'I consider that indiscretion cost us ten submarines and 800 officers and men.'"
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2006-06-10 02:37  

#4  C-Low, ironically enough, the press DID actually spill the beans (to some extent) after Midway. I believe it was the Chicago Tribune that published a report about how US penetration of Japanese codes had aided in the victory. As I recall the Roosevelt Admin. in the end decided to let it pass, as it did not catch on and become a widely-reported item, even though officials were furious. I don't know if anyone has ever researched the question of whether anyone in Japan had come across the Trib report (though in that paper age obviously we were protected by the non-global information network). The other thing that's intriguing is the source of the leak - code-breaking in WWII was exceptionally well protected as a national secret.
Posted by: Verlaine in Iraq   2006-06-10 01:17  

#3  Glad to hear CNN and company are doing all they possible can to be sure find, understand, and fully explain all our tools and advantages to the ENEMY.

Why isn't that illegal? It's got to be illegal! Is that guy working for Al Qaeda or what? Years ago it would have been called espionage or something close to it. Perhaps the reporter and his buddies can all go to the bar and pick up girls with what they know. They are big shots now after all. And perhaps the colonel is headed off to the mosque to thank Allah for giving him this information and the opportunity to pass it to Al Qaeda without even having to leave his office or pick up the phone. Allah works in strange and mysterious ways. And some reporters do, too. They should think twice about doing things that extend this conflict and cost lives, even if it means passing up a Pulitzer. There's nothing there that I need to know. I promise you, I can wait until after the war for that info. And some dead and injured soldiers (aka humans) would have appreciated it, too. And their families. Maybe what we need is some kind of award for keeping your mouth shut.
Posted by: grb   2006-06-10 00:56  

#2  Glad to hear CNN and company are doing all they possible can to be sure find, understand, and fully explain all our tools and advantages to the ENEMY.

I wonder if after Midway the US media outlets attempted to find out how we surprised and were ready waiting for the Japanese fleet? Somehow I would bet that even if they had known such info the media of the time who considered themselves “American” not “World citizens” like our current crop of Seditionist media but they would have done what they could to bury it until the end of the war.
Posted by: C-Low   2006-06-10 00:15  

#1  Commander Arlen Specter will git right on this one.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-06-10 00:11  

00:00