People react to this kind of news as "Ho hum, ANOTHER 'top leader'?"
The response should be "YES, another top leader--that's how you deal with terrorist groups, you have to get them where you can, they're not sitting in an easily-found capitol city waiting to get blown up!"
The glibness with which Americans, including FReepers, react to this kind of story is discouraging; I can't imagine how discouraging it must be to the troops doing the heavy lifting. It's not just the DUmmies who are bringing our people down in terms of morale.
Wow. I think I once read the French equivalent of your post during a similar engagement in Northern Africa.
Basically the eventually killed all of the top-leaders and then withdrew with their tails between their legs.
Of course the French are good at surrender, but ultimately your mentality is the same as theirs and it is what caused the defeat.
It is important to go after the militants and their leaders, but if you don't couple it with a plan to cut off the supply of their replacements (i.e. economic growth, stability and opportunity for young men) you can forget about winning. And killing without winning is just killing.
Have a Merry Christmas
"The glibness with which Americans, including FReepers, react to this kind of story is discouraging; I can't imagine how discouraging it must be to the troops doing the heavy lifting. It's not just the DUmmies who are bringing our people down in terms of morale."
I try to keep in mind the effect that these kind of takedowns must affect the morale of the enemy......and what they might REALLY think about bin Laden and Zawahiri being safely and quietly stashed away out of harms way; being only mouthpieces.
They are like pez, you take one out and another pops up.
Of course the other side is that every one you take out is one less for their side.