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
India-Pakistan
Breaking News: Zawahiri possibly dead (updated 8 pm CST)
2006-01-13
ABCNews is reporting a strike in Pakistan by Pak US military may have killed Zawahiri.
Off to look for confirmation...
Citing Pak sources, don't know how reliable they are:
Today, according to Pakistani military sources, U.S. aircraft attacked a compound known to be frequented by high level al Qaeda operatives. Pakistani officials tell ABC News that al Qaeda leader Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, may have been among them. U.S. intelligence for the last few days indicated that Zawahiri might be in the location or about to arrive, although there is still no confirmation from U.S. officials that he was among the victims. The attack took place early this morning Pakistan time in a small village a few miles from the border with Afghanistan. Villagers described seeing an unmanned plane circling the area for the last few days and then bombs falling in the early morning darkness.

Eighteen people were killed, according to the villagers who said women and children were among the fatalities. But Pakistani officials tell ABC News that five of those killed were high-level al Qaeda figures, and their bodies are now undergoing forensic tests for positive identification.
"Paging Dr. Quincy, we've got some deaders here."
Officials say Zawahiri was known to have used safe houses in this area last winter and was believed to be in the area again this winter. Zawahiri, who appeared just last week in a new videotaped message, had increasingly been taking the operational reins of al Qaeda, and is thought by U.S. officials to be the current true mastermind of the terrorist group.

Pakistani officials tell ABC News that the bodies of the five suspected al Qaeda figures will be recovered at first light in Pakistan, but it will still take a day or two for any kind of positive identification. U.S. officials in Washington did not provide a comment.
In the previous paragraph, they were already testing the dearly departed. This para sez they haven't even picked up the bodies yet. Sigh.
Update from MS-NBC:
U.S. officials told NBC News on Friday that American airstrikes in Pakistan overnight Thursday were aimed at the No. 2 man in the al-Qaida terror organization — Ayman al-Zawahri. One official said intelligence indicated a strong possibility that Zawahri was in the Pakistani village at the time of the airstrike, but there is no confirmation that he was killed.

Pakistani officials say U.S. aircraft, apparently CIA Predator drones, fired as many as 10 missiles at the residential compound. Reports indicate as many as 30 villagers, including some women and children, were killed. The attack came in the Bajur region of Northwest Pakistan, along the Afghanistan border.

While some remains were reportedly recovered from the site of the attack, there was still no confirmation Friday night that Zawahri was among the dead. An intelligence official told NBC that it does have a sample of Zawahri's DNA. “Anyone who tells you there is clarity on whether he [Zawahri] was killed ... do not take what they are saying as gospel,” a senior U.S. official said.
No fat lady til we get a head and some DNA.
Posted by:Seafarious

#28  Fred, as always, you make the most sense! ;-)
Posted by: twobyfour   2006-01-13 23:38  

#27  The accordion lady shows up to entertain us while we await the good news.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-01-13 23:34  

#26  I'd rather see the striped-over road kill possum
Posted by: Frank G   2006-01-13 23:25  

#25  I'd like the corpulent viking lady diva, pretty please, if Ayeman is toed up, rather than that accordeon girl.
Posted by: twobyfour   2006-01-13 23:03  

#24  I wonder if Zarqawi dropped a nickel on him.

Whether he did or didn't, we should be spreading the meme that he did. Get 'em all looking nervously at each other, wondering who's going to dime who next.
Posted by: Mike   2006-01-13 22:55  

#23  Have a good time in hell asshole :)
Posted by: JerseyMike   2006-01-13 22:49  

#22  I think we might have got him. The CNN reporters are moping like there was a death in the family.

I wonder if Zarqawi dropped a nickel on him.
Posted by: Matt   2006-01-13 22:49  

#21  Burn, cockroah...BURN
Posted by: anymouse   2006-01-13 22:10  

#20  Though I'm sorely tempted to ululate, I'm with SPo'D. I wanna see a wooden stake driven through that empty heart cavity and DNA confirmation.

EPAMINONDAS - Lol, pretty crafty distraction there bringin up Selma. Your site indicates yet another (like myself) ex-Dhimmidonk (or nearly so?) who prefers Freedom to Tranzi / Dhimmi idiocy? Is this correct?

If so, join the multitudes who see the current malefactors running the Dhimmidonks for what they are - anti-American socialista Moonbats. And welcome to the 'Burg, heh.

If not, well - why not? Lol. There's no hope until they're thrashed into oblivion and shattered into a gazillion pieces. When someone who's got more to offer than wet-fingered / playing to our base (morons) idiocy steps forward and begins to put the pieces worth having back together, then we may return to a rational 2-party Nation. Until then, well, they deserve their fate.

Selma. Lol. Purdy good, heh.

As for Zawahiri, burn you murderous bitch, burn.
Posted by: .com   2006-01-13 21:38  

#19  We too officially deny any attack.
Posted by: Halliburton, UFO Div.   2006-01-13 21:32  

#18  Fox News web site is reporting the report. They say the Army is officially denying any attack, but an "unnamed Army official" is confirming a strike on a target.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181584,00.html
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2006-01-13 21:16  

#17  24 hour rule...
Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom   2006-01-13 21:16  

#16  From the CNN article:


"Just last week, the Arabic-language news network, Al-Jazeera, aired a videotape in which the al Qaeda operative called on President Bush to concede defeat in Iraq."

That'll teach you to run your mouth.....




http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/13/alqaeda.strike/index.html
Posted by: Cheth Glereper2842   2006-01-13 20:53  

#15  Eighteen people were killed, according to the villagers who said women and children were among the fatalities.

Any baby ducks or fluffy bunnies, or was this another wedding party?
Posted by: xbalanke   2006-01-13 20:45  

#14  Noticing that abc has this as "among the victims"
Z would be considered a victim?
Posted by: Inspector Clueso   2006-01-13 20:37  

#13  You mean there are people who can watch Tarantino's movies all the way through?
Posted by: Phil   2006-01-13 20:23  

#12  9 I'd actually prefer to see him... beneath Selma Hayak's feet, like a dog

I've often wished to see myself there as well.

Been watching Tarantino's From Dusk till Dawn?

Tarantino is such a perv. An entire movie created for one scene in which he licks whiskey running off Salma's toes.

Posted by: john   2006-01-13 20:14  

#11  MOSCOW (AFX) - Ayman al-Zawahiri, considered Osama bin Laden's top aide, has been killed in Afghanistan, Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency reported, citing informed sources.
In a report from Islamabad, the agency cited sources who said al-Zawahiri was not killed in fighting but in a special operation carried out by unidentified individuals.
It did not give the date of his death.
Zawahiri, an Egyptian physician and a leader of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, was said to be the number two in bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and its chief financier.
He is said to be bin Laden's mentor and one of the chief organisers of the Sept 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington.
The US has offered a 5 mln usd reward for information leading to his capture.
Posted by: john   2006-01-13 20:11  

#10  Show me the teeth, sorry...dna would do! I always figured "W" would get his man whether he was surrounded by one or a thousand.
Posted by: smn   2006-01-13 20:02  

#9  I'd actually prefer to see him... beneath Selma Hayak's feet, like a dog

I've often wished to see myself there as well.
Posted by: jpal   2006-01-13 19:57  

#8  hope they put the hellfire right on that little forehead mark he has had
Posted by: Frank G   2006-01-13 19:42  

#7  I'd actually prefer to see him in golden chains, behind GWB's chariot, or beneath Selma Hayak's feet, like a dog
Posted by: EPAMINONDAS   2006-01-13 19:38  

#6  (OK, so it's become the standard gag...)

And not just the host body; the symbiote as well.
Posted by: Phil   2006-01-13 19:10  

#5  US has been striking inside Pakistan for sometime now, that's how we got Haitham al-Yemeni and Abu Hamza Rabia. The info is sourced to the ISI, however, which means that we have to apply the salt shaker until we get further confirmation. Ayman's been dead before, so we wait till we have a body to be sure.
Posted by: Dan Darling   2006-01-13 19:00  

#4  76 ... trombones and a big parade!
Posted by: Hupomoger Clans9827   2006-01-13 18:49  

#3  According to ABC News:

Today, according to Pakistani military sources, U.S. aircraft attacked a compound known to be frequented by high level al Qaeda operatives.

Maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention, but I don't recall Pakistan giving us permission to launch strikes within their borders?
Posted by: BH   2006-01-13 18:48  

#2  Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Posted by: Anonymoose   2006-01-13 18:44  

#1  kewl.
Posted by: 2b   2006-01-13 18:43  

00:00