Just How Did U.S. Forces Make That Missile Strike In Pakistan?

This is absolutely fascinating and believe me, only Bill Roggio can bring this kind of stuff to the public - Bill's Long War Journal has Phil Peterson embedded in Afghanistan and he was literally embedded in the operations center that coordinated the highly effective missile attack that occurred just last week that killed high level Taliban targets along with Chechen members of the Taliban. You simply HAVE to read the full article here from The Long War Journal, but here's a sneak preview:

The March 12 strike originated from intelligence gathered on the ground from a subordinate unit seeking information on the Haqqani Network. After full-motion video and other "special intelligent collection capabilities" were performed, the Bridge confirmed this particular compound was indeed a safe house for insurgents. Analysts continued to scrutinize the area looking for any signs of life, the presence of women or children, and activity in neighboring structures. Other disciplines, such as law and weapons, are consulted as well. In this case, intelligence assets reported no presence of civilians in the area over the previous five days, making the decision to launch a strike urgent. Full-motion video captured and projected on to the center projection screen -- known as "Kill TV" -- several individuals performing sentry duty in and around the Haqqani Network compound's boundaries.

The article is fascinating in that it delves into the specifics of how the operation comes together and the striking thing is how urgently the decisions are made and how absolutely pinpoint our forces are in their execution.

I don't know how any American can read an article like this and not be blown away at the proficiency of our Military and not want to wave an American flag in honor of our fighting men and women. I would have to say that any jihadist reading this article is going to be one nervous nellie in any future meetings - the point is there is NOWHERE to run or to hide when you are dealing with the American forces. And that is a very good thing.

Inside the Bridge: Behind the scenes of a strike into Pakistan

Its looks are deceiving. It is just a large room, very utilitarian, filled with simple workstations covered with keyboards and multiple screens. Fluorescent lights keep the room bright 24 hours a day. The sheer amount of computer equipment is a striking feature. The workers dressed in uniform go about their business.But inside this overhauled Soviet-era hangar on Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan's sprawling main hub for international operations, lies the heart of the effort to hunt Taliban and terrorist masterminds: The Joint Operation Center's operation cell, aka "the Bridge."The Long War Journal's Phil Peterson had extraordinary access inside the Bridge during the evolution of the March 12 strike that destroyed a Haqqani Network safe house in Pakistan.

A flood of new intelligence regarding insurgent patterns and habits has been gathered through a series of operations called Winter Stand, the Coalition's aggressive winter campaign to establish footholds along known Taliban transit routes from their safe havens in Pakistan. Since many of the Afghan Taliban fighters seek refuge in Pakistan during the winter, intelligence efforts have focused on their activity and potential safe houses along the border. Winter Stand operations figured into the evolution of the March 12 strike against the Haqqani Network.Critical intelligence gathered from the field is sent back to the Bridge where it is analyzed, reviewed, and if the opportunity arises, a strike is planned and ordered against high-value targets. Intelligence piping into the center comes from a plethora of sources: ground units in the field, informants in dangerous Afghan backwaters, the high-resolution video footage beamed in from one of the US military's most high-tech unmanned aerial vehicles, Warrior Alpha or Predator. Each nugget of information is thoroughly examined, weeding out enemy propaganda and misinformation, bad information from informants, and outdated intelligence from local officials and residents.