Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Another U.S. Predator Drone Attack In North Waziristan, Five Jihadis In Pieces


The onslaught on Taliban and al Qaeda targets in North Waziristan continued today as a U.S. predator drone aircraft struck a Taliban compound near Miramshah killing five jihadis and now, we get to wait a few days to see if it was one of the Haqqani Network leaders we got or perhaps another Taliban commander or possibly an al Qaeda top dog. Either way, I love the anticipation of just who we got.

From the story at DAWN:


A US drone aircraft fired three missiles into Pakistan's North Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Wednesday, killing at least five militants, Pakistani intelligence officials and residents said.
The strike targeted a stronghold of the Haqqani network, a major Taliban faction attacking Western forces across the border in Afghanistan. A similar strike last week in the same area killed a son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the leader of the group.
“I myself heard a huge blast and can see fire rising from the site,” said Reuters reporter Haji Mujtaba in North Waziristan's main town of Miramshah.
Intelligence officials said two missiles hit a fortress-like militant compound in Dargi Mandi village near Miramshah while the third struck a vehicle. One intelligence official said several militants were wounded.
I'm guessing, at this point in time, there's a communication making the rounds of the Taliban in Pakistan: "Get the fuck out of Miramshah!" This place has more craters than the moon.

One thing that I think needs pointing out. Ever since the CIA was hit hard in that Taliban/Haqqani Network coordinated suicide bombing up in Afghanistan, there has been a relentless stream of predator drone attacks in NW Pakistan - probably four or five times the normal amount...the CIA has unleashed its fury and not only have they taken a huge toll on Taliban/Haqqani Network jihadis, they have taken out some seriously big fish, consistently.

I wonder if those same Taliban leaders, if they had a chance to do it again, would pull the trigger on that CIA attack. I think not. I also want to point out something else. You've all seen the videos of predator drones taking out Taliban and al Qaeda targets in both Iraq and Afghanistan, right? The one consistent thing in all of those videos is the fact that one hellfire missile hits the target. Well, ever since the CIA absorbed that attack in Afghanistan, each of these new strikes has seen AT LEAST two hellfires being fired and often, as in this case, three hellfires are being launched - it's called revenge...it's all eradicating the target and thus, we are seeing more and more dead, and less wounded. Nice, huh?

Moral of the story? Don't piss off the CIA.



US drone strike kills five in North Waziristan

MIRAMSHAH: A US drone aircraft fired three missiles into Pakistan's North Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Wednesday, killing at least five militants, Pakistani intelligence officials and residents said.

The strike targeted a stronghold of the Haqqani network, a major Taliban faction attacking Western forces across the border in Afghanistan. A similar strike last week in the same area killed a son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the leader of the group.

“I myself heard a huge blast and can see fire rising from the site,” said Reuters reporter Haji Mujtaba in North Waziristan's main town of Miramshah.

Intelligence officials said two missiles hit a fortress-like militant compound in Dargi Mandi village near Miramshah while the third struck a vehicle. One intelligence official said several militants were wounded.

Residents said militants had cordoned off the area and were allowing no one to approach the site.

Mohammad Hashim, a son of Haqqani, was killed in a strike in nearby Dandi Darpakhel village last week.

But another son of Haqqani, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is a much more high-profile target of the US drones because he has effectively taken over leadership of the militant faction from his elderly father.

US ally Pakistan officially objects to the drone strikes, saying they are a violation of its sovereignty and fuel anti-US feeling, which complicates Pakistan's efforts against militancy.

But at least some strikes are carried out with the consent of Islamabad, in particular those on Pakistani Taliban militants fighting the state.

The Haqqani faction does not launch attacks in Pakistan, but sends fighters across the border into Afghanistan from its stronghold in North Waziristan.

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