Target -- Osama?

According to reports, in the past few days US security and military officials had a top-level summit at a military base in the Qatari capital, Doha, to plan an operation to hunt for the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who is believed to be hiding in the K2 mountains of Northern Pakistan. Al-Arabiya also said US secret services were intending to drive him out in a major military operation encompassing the northern Pakistani tribal areas. (AKI)

 It is true that General David Petraeus is turning his attention to Afghanistan from Iraq, where reconciliation and the government seem to be headed in the right direction.

It is also true that plans have been on hold for an individual, non-military, assassination of Osama this summer. An 'inside job' if you will. If this is a possibility, than I cannot understand why the go-ahead has not been given from Washington. Also if this type operation is in the works, we must have some very good intelligence as to Osama's precise location.

Other interesting news, "Al-Qaida Bomb-Maker Revives WMD Program", (NewsMax)

A dangerous al-Qaida bomb-maker, whom the Pakistan military reported was killed two years ago, is in fact alive and well and working to develop chemical, biological, and radiological weapons — and perhaps nuclear weapons as well. That’s the chilling word from Beirut-based Ed Blanche, who writes in The Middle East magazine that Egyptian-born chemical engineer Midhat Mursi al Sayyid Umar — known as Osama bin Laden’s “sorcerer” — is working in secret laboratories in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal area.

Sounds like we don't have time to waste when it comes to Afghanistan and Pakistan, who are unquestionably linked by more than their national borders.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned all those in uniform to stay out of politics as the United States approaches a presidential election in which the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be a central, and certainly divisive, issue, saying, ""The U.S. military must remain apolitical at all times," ... "It is and must always be a neutral instrument of the state, no matter which party holds sway." (AP)

That's easier said than done, just as expecting the media to be impartial is a waste of time today. It is a shame that after all these years, Osama bin Laden et al are still free, and in fact are more outspoken and public via the internet, than they have ever been. Time to turn the military lose and take these guys out.

Comments

[Stormwarning]

I am hoping that Mr. Harkonnen will return at some point and provide some insight into the idea of our "ability to place a beeper inside a living body" (that would have to be done covertly)...or how we can "infuse a sensor" into bin Laden's body. I only ask because I'm interested in such things :)

[Stormwarning]

I'm not as certain as Steve that we know the exact location of Osama. As for "infusing a sensor," I'd be fascinated to know what technology we're discussing here.

As for the targeted assassination of bin Laden, as you know, Debbie, I'm all in favor.

http://stormwarning.moonagewebdream.com/index.php/2008/05/19/pre-emptive-assassinations/

[Debbie]

Steve: I'm with you on this one. With our technology it seems we could have located him somehow. Which leads me to believe that perhaps we do know where he is, at least within a general area. Which then leads me to wonder why we have not killed or captured him.

This plan to send in one man to get close to bin-Laden and take him out is very appealing to me. I hope Washington gives the OK.

[Angel]

youre right..the media will never be impartial on this!

[Steve Harkonnen]

A couple of years ago I blogged on Waziristan and the implications of the accord set up between them and Pakistan. Basically, the accord set up provisions for the U.S. to venture into Waziristan without Pakistani intervention.

But prior to the accord being published and agreed upon, the U.S. didn't have a chance of entering into that zone whatsoever, with much thanks to the un-cooperative Pakistani government. However, once the accord was established, it meant that we could walk into that region and take out OBL, but it never happened. We passed up a unique window of opportunity.

Given today's GPS technologies and the ability to place a "beeper" inside a living body cavity, I am certain that they know the exact whereabouts of bin Laden. Maybe they're just too concerned they might botch things up as usual. Why they never released an al-Qaida prisoner from GTMO, but infused a sensor inside his body is beyond me.

That might have allowed for easy detection, as the ex-prisoner would lead us directly to bin Laden, thus us being able to capture him alive, perhaps.