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| India-Pakistan |
| Al-Qaeda commanders escape Pakistan missile strike |
| 2008-10-10 |
| MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) - A US missile strike targeting a high-level meeting of Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders in a Pakistani tribal area missed most of them by just minutes, security officials said Friday. Two missiles hit the house of Pakistani Taliban leader Hafiz Sahar Gul in the North Waziristan district bordering Afghanistan on Thursday night, killing nine people including six Arab militants, the officials said. "There was a meeting of around 30 foreign Al-Qaeda and local Taliban commanders in the house of Hafiz Sahar Gul but the majority of them left the building ten minutes before the missile struck," a security official told AFP. "The six Arabs who were killed are all believed to be lower level operatives," the official added on condition of anonymity. Officials did not immediately give the identities of the targeted militants. But they said that they were not Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden or his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Residents said the other three people killed in the strike in the remote village of Tapi were women and children, but there was no official confirmation. Last week around 20 Al-Qaeda-linked militants, mostly foreign nationals, were killed in a suspected US missile strike in Mohammad Khel village in North Waziristan, Pakistani security officials said. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #9 It's no more complicated than the fact that they have a network of observers. When they hear a drone overhead, the important 'targets' vacate. This one is unusual in that we have an almost play-by-play. Methinks too much was given up to the Taliban in this one...the 'security officials' need to STFU. |
| Posted by: logi_cal 2008-10-10 21:04 |
| #8 That's the first thing I thought when I read it. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-10 13:17 |
| #7 I'd forgotten that, Paul. Thanks for the reminder. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-10 12:41 |
| #6 ISI tip off by any chance? Always remember how Paki ISI/Generals went to talk to Taliban re handing over Osama in 2001 but instead told them to hold tight and not hand over!!!!2 faced scumbags!!!! |
| Posted by: Paul 2008-10-10 12:28 |
| #5 Keep trying. Only has to work once. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2008-10-10 12:22 |
| #4 Lots of security leaks on the Pakistani side, from what I've read. It apparently frustrates the CIA guys terribly. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-10 12:13 |
| #3 Glenmore, i was thinking the same thing while reading this. But then i just put if off too being all the political bullshit we have too go through just too shoot the missile in the first place. |
| Posted by: chris 2008-10-10 12:10 |
| #2 missed most of them by just minutes Do we have a security leak? Too often our targets leave just before the missiles arrive. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-10-10 12:06 |
| #1 A shame, but at least they won't be able to meet at Mr. Gul's house any more. With winter coming on, cozy meeting places are no doubt terribly important. We will pass over, unremarked, how annoying Mr. Gul must find the need to suddenly acquire a new home staffed appropriately with wives and children. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-10 11:23 |