Sep 07 2008
Update On War On Terror 09_07_08: Gadahn And Muslim Human Shields
As many of us watching the new and events in Pakistan have been seeing there has been an escalation in the US/NATO tempo against al-Qaeda targets in the Pakistan tribal regions known as the FATA and the NWFP. Just a few days ago there was another Predator strike on a safe house for al-Qaeda in the FATA Agency of North Waziristan (click on map above to see larger image), and today we get some updates on it:
A missile strike from a pilotless U.S. reconnaissance aircraft killed between six and 12 people in a group of houses in southern Afghanistan, close to the border with Pakistan, Pakistani residents said Friday.
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They said the attack hit two residential compounds in the village of Al Must, less than a mile from the Pakistani border.
According to reports from Al Must reaching Miran Shah, six to 12 people, including men of Arab descent, were killed, said Ahsan Dawar, a journalist in Miran Shah. Among the dead were two women and three children, Dawar said.
It is common for families in these areas to rent part of their compound to foreigners, especially Arabs, who are involved in the planning of attacks against NATO forces in Afghanistan.
What is interesting is the fact we seem to have so many solid targets now, based on solid intelligence. The targets have all been rented out safe houses, the casualties always include Arab fighters. This tells me this means many locals are ready to have the US help clear their areas of these al-Qaeda ‘guests’ and are helping the US target them.
There have been strong indications that Adam Gadahn, the American al-Qaeda PR expert, may have been killed in one of these predator raids. No one has heard from him for months. With the 9-11 anniversary on the doorstep and Gadahn’s annual message to America not out, many believe this will be final proof of the demise of Gadahn. And good riddance.
Gadahn was a waste for al-Qaeda, not impressing or scaring or recruiting Americans (unless he got to the Surrendercrats somehow), so the news of his death means little. But at the above link there is this video report on refuges from the Pakistan efforts to battle the militants. It is definitely a liberal view of the efforts to purge the region of dangerous murderers. It focuses on the human toll of war, not the reason it must be fought. In the middle you hear briefly about the war crimes of the Taliban using fellow Muslims as human shields. But in the summary the focus is on concerns the Pakistan government is being too rough. How ridiculous! You also hear in the summary that many people are supporting the government in clearing out the Taliban and al-Qaeda. One supposedly pro interviewee looks more scared than a true believer. Worth a watch.
Fighting still rages in the southern areas of Afghanistan – with the vast majority of the casualties on the side of the enemy. I think it is becoming obvious that America will not sit back and be attacked any more. And the Taliban and al-Qaeda our also learning that their meager arms and training, despite their religious zealotry, are no match for Western forces.
7 years after 9-11 and now al-Qaeda is the enemy of Islam in Arab countries while they run from one hideout to another hoping they will not be the next ones killed by our forces. The war is not over, but it is heading towards our victory.
The past couple years have shown that no matter how much you secure afghanistan, that if the Taliban have a safe haven to recruit and restore their strength, the country would never be secured. If anything as we defeated them in battle after battle, just enough could get back to wazirastan and with extra experience to fight us. Experience they could hand down. Now that we are busting their safe havens it will make that much easier to secure country.