Taliban attempts attack on VP Cheney

The Taliban claim they were after United States Vice President Dick Cheney, but they missed their target killing as many as 20, according to an Afghan official. Vice President Cheney was at the U.S. base in Bagram Afghanistan but according to reports is unharmed. NATO says three died, including a U.S. soldier, but AP reporters at the scene saw at least eight bodies. ABCNews

Cheney had been in Pakistan visiting with leaders there about their participation in the war on terror. After the Afghanistan attack, Cheney traveled on to Kabul for a meeting with Afghan President Karzai.

The VP had plane trouble that nearly aborted his original journey, according to MSNBC:

It was supposed to be a surprise trip. And it was, in more ways than Vice President Dick Cheney could have imagined. ...

On Sunday, the highly secretive trip was nearly derailed when Cheney'splane reported electrical problems shortly after leaving Australia—tipping news agencies off to a refueling stop in Singapore, a destination well off the route Air Force Two would normally take to get back to Washington. The small group of reporters traveling with Cheney were told of the secret stops more than 24 hours in advance but were warned not to divulge the information, out of concern for Cheney's security, as well as their own.

The VP and his entourage left Sydney on Sunday morning, flying more than seven hours to Singapore. During the flight, his plane experienced what his staff described as a power surge prompting a slew of alarming headlines back in Australia.

The small group of journalists traveling with Cheney were waiting to board the plane en route to Kabul, when sirens suddenly erupted around the Bagram military base. Reporters saw plumes of smoke rise in the distance. A loudspeaker announced that the base was under attack—and Secret Service agents rushed the press to the plane. ...

Instead of heading home, Cheney flew another seven hours to Oman, just across gulf waters from Iran. ...

Early Monday morning, the motorcade ferried Cheney and his entourage back to the airport, where Air Force Two was parked on the Omani Royal airstrip. But instead of boarding his familiar blue and white Boeing C-10, the VP got on a massive military cargo plane usually used to transport presidential vehicles.

Inside the massive fuselage, Cheney was escorted to his private quarters for the day: A silver Airstream trailer parked right in the middle of the cargo hold. Held into place by massive chains, ...

Two hours and 45 minutes later, the plane descended on its first stop, Islamabad, with Cheney's secret still intact.

There, Cheney met for just over two hours with Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf, pressing him to clamp down on militant factions along his country's border with Afghanistan. ...

... When Cheney boarded the plane from the tarmac, he seemed calm and collected, ...

... Cheney was supposed to have had a three-hour visit with Afghan President Hamid Karzai; the visit was cut to just an hour. ...

According to news reports, the bomber struck outside a security gate at Bagram, which is located north of the capital city of Kabul. The bomber was reportedly on foot.

Go read the entire account of Cheney's trip, very interesting details from a reporter's viewpoint.

We are all thankful that the Vice President is safe. This incident serves to remind us that the situation in the Middle East must be taken seriously by the United States government. I would love to hear a plan for peace from the newly-elected Democrats.

Comments

[Debbie]

Mujahideen Ryder, the Taliban called up their contact at Reuters by phone and told them, "We, the Taliban, are responsible for this attack on VP Cheney." So I feel very comfortable using Taliban in the title, it's not lying when that's what they called themselves.

Also all early news reports used the same reference.

Sorry,

[TACK]

Yes Talib, Talibus, Taliban (TB)=student(s). Yes, I know the meaning of the word (Pushto, Farsi, Urdu..whatever). A person being taught how to build an IED or learn how to ambush opposing armies is a student right? The people doing the teaching and attacks are doing so under the some Muslim pre-text or Jihadisht ideal are they not? And if you do the research Imams, religious leaders, scholars, and teachers are in most circumstances the one’s who are telling and preaching to conduct attacks against the U.S are they not? Smells like one, looks like one etc….Look, I not arguing if the present Taliban activist is that of the “pure” (Original Taliban) form of the TB movement. I am saying that there are a lot of guerilla fighters (GF) in Afghanistan that are operating under the Taliban name. So to me it is a transparent thing (and the world)…..OTB or TB who cares. In the total sight picture does it really matter if the practitioner or GF is that of the OTB? No…two the body one to the head.

[Mujahideen Ryder]

Okay, thanks TACK for the info.

Ima say this again, and again. The Taliban do not exist anymore. First of all do you even know what Taliban literally means. It's the plural for Students. Talib = 1 student. Taliban = many students.

People use the taliban all over the world. Im a talib. me and my friends are taliban.

Haha, non-Muslims make me laugh sometimes. You guys need to get your facts straight.

And EVEN IF the taliban that existed in Afghanistan and Pakistan are still there, there just wananbes who are trying to be cool.

In Muslim countries, the cool thing to do is to fight against the oppressive armies invading there homes. Which is actually what they should be doing, but that's a whole other story.

Secondly, Taliban membership is so easy. Pre-reqs: Hanafi, Deobandi.

Like 80% and about 60% of Pakistan and Afghanistan are Hanafi and Deobandi.

I'm hanafi. In fact that is the largest madhab or school of though in the Muslim world.

The Taliban elders were not only fighters, but Islamic scholars, rulers, Economists , teachers, etc.

They were very serious about Islam and studying it, thus the name "The Students."

That's why I'm saying the taliban is gone. Maybe there are some hardcore Muslims just plotting military attacks and using the Taliban name.

But the original Taliban were much more then just fighting, the were Scholars, Muftis, Ulema, Shuyukh, Imams and most of all they were Students of Knowledge. That is why there were successful in the beginning.

But if the American government wants to think they still exist and are being fooled by Afghani and Pakistani Muslims, then they have that right. But they are pretty much wasting there time.

[Mujahideen Ryder]

Debbie - if no one is sure who did it, then why title the post - Taliban... etc.

That's lying.

And in the Muslim community, it's clearly 100% ovbious the Taliban is gone.

[TACK]

Good morning all. Debbie thanks for your welcome. I look forward to reading some edifying and interesting comments on this site. M Ryder..The Taliban are not gone, they are still active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. How many, who knows but they are still influencing people in Afghanistan. A lot of people there still believe in the Taliban and what they brought to the table-law and order-electricity and water, etc. And they want them back. I don't want to digress too much here but they are still around. Who knows if the OPSEC violation happened in Pakistan or Afghanistan, or wherever-stan, the point still stands that the information may have been “leaked.” I still believe that it was not a coincidence. I know of two bombings that have occurred in the same area that yesterday’s did in a more than a years time frame. In addition, that area is a “target rich environment.” There is a lot of vehicular traffic in and out of that Entry Control Point and on any given day a SB (Suicide Bomber) has ample opportunity to kill or get media attention--please don't hit me too hard for grammar and spelling mistakes, posting this quick, about to head out to put lead down range.

[Debbie]

Mujahideen Ryder, I don't think anybody knows for sure who plotted this attack. Some don't even think it was an attack on Cheney, that it just 'happened' to be near where the VP was.

We probably won't ever know.

[Mujahideen Ryder]

Wow, Taliban got that power still!? Noooo wayyyy. BS!

The Taliban is gone. These people are wannabes. Regardless of that, how the hell did they know the VP was going to be there? I didn't even know Dick Chenay was in Afghanistan until now. [Too much school work and studying is the reason].

[Debbie]

A.C. you make a good point. If this was the best the Taliban could do, perhaps they are not in such good shape. However, the fact they knew Cheney's plans is very troublesome.

[A.C. McCloud]

Just guessing, but it seems if AQ knew in advance Cheney was coming and all they could muster was a sole car bomber then they're not real organized. Cheney was in Pakistan Monday, which was all over the news. The security breakdown might well have been in Islamabad on Monday.

BTW, the comments being made on some of the lefty blogs are beyond despicable.

[Debbie]

Bernie, I've checked out the mosaic and you did a great job. I'll highlight your post later today.

[Debbie]

TACK, welcome to the group here at Right Truth and thanks for the great contribution in your comments. Don't be a stranger.

Layla, Blandy, and Stormwarning, sorry to be silent all afternoon, but life has intruded today on my blogging.

I'm hearing it really isn't the Taliban that ordered the attack but al-Qaeda. My question, is there really a difference these days in that area of the country?

And yes, someone leaked information about Cheney's travels and we may never know who or where that leak was.

There are some on the far left here in the US that would have shed no tears if Cheney has been killed. That's sad, but true.

[TACK]

-Ditto on Stormwarning's point-The majority of the U.S does not understand tribal ties. This is blatantly ignored in both the Iraq and Afghani theaters and in my opinion is one of the biggest reasons why the war on terror in Iraq is failing.

[TACK]

This is not a Taliban up surge. The war in Afghanistan is just old news. Iraq has taken center stage with the American public. The media has recognized this and decided to exploit the circumstances. Taliban, AQ, and HIG conduct operations everyday in Afghanistan, but it rarely makes mainstream news. I hope that the reasons that the attack happened while the VP was there in conjunction that the bomber actually made it past the first check point grabs the attention of the American public and officials in both the DoD and Federal government. The security of our bases and troops abroad should be of the outmost concern.

[Stormwarning]

Layla: The Taliban "upsurge" (I prefer the word rebirth or resurgence) was sort of predictable given our not understanding or recognizing the role of the tribes and warlords, as well as our leaving the field of battle and ceding the operations to NATO. I still believe that Karzai will be quite lucky to survive.

Bernie: I suppose that you actually believe what you wrote...that Cheney is in more danger in the US than in Afghanistan because of what you describe as "loony leftists." That, frankly, is LOONY...and an expression of part of what is wrong with this country today.

Thanks for the opportunity.

[Layla]

Thank God Cheney is safe and well. The Taliban up surge in Afghanistan is alarming to say the least. This will be a long war.

[bernie]

He's probably safer there than in the US, where who knows what liberal idiots are liable to do.

By the way and off-topic: I used your blog logo for this week's blogroll mosaic: http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/2007/02/ota_the_right_truth.html

[TACK]

Even though it was to be a "surprise visit" to Bagram there were still those who were told that he (Cheney) was coming, to include USCF-U.S Coalition Forces and Afghani government official (both National and Provincial officials). Security preperations and precautions such as those taken for him do not happen in the blink of an eye or over a days span. I am have no doubt OPSEC played a major role in what happend at Bagram AB. No matter if it was AQ or HIG, some terrorist group found out he was going to be there.

[Blandly Urbane]

Dangerous indeed, but awfully fine al qaeda media relations...it's the one weapon that works the best.

Nice twisting around and still going to the destination.