Posted on 01/14/2006 3:21:21 AM PST by snarks_when_bored
Al-Qaida's second-in-command was not at the site of a U.S. airstrike on a Pakistan village near the Afghan border that killed at least 17 people, two senior Pakistani officials said Saturday.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said that Pakistan's own investigation concluded that Ayman al-Zawahri was not in the village of Damadola.
"Their information was wrong, and our investigations conclude that they acted on a false information," said a senior intelligence official who has direct knowledge of the investigations launched by Pakistan to look into the attacks.
Separately, a senior government official told AP that al-Zawahri was not present at the homes which were attacked.
"He was not there, and this is what we know after a detailed probe" into the incident, he said.
Pakistan's government was expected to formally issue its reaction on the attack later Saturday.
ping
Assuming the Pakistani report is true, the only way these Pakistani officials could learn so quickly that Zawahiri was still alive would be by talking to him personally. I believe there are those in the Pakastani government (not Musharraf) that are protecting al Qaeda with the full understanding that American forces are not allowed to hunt for them in Pakistan. At the very least, they will now know that the rules have changed.
At least that cow got what was coming to it
Wouldn't be the first time our intelligence/military services used the slavish MSM as willing dupes. Nor the last.
Which is -more- or -less- accurate than the detailed probe beforehand that said he was there?
As if this guy has had Zawahiri's itenerary all along or something.
About an hour ago, a network radio newscast (either Fox or ABC) stated that a Pakistan official said there was a "50-50" chance that Zawahiri was in that pile of rubble.
I'm gonna say he was until I hear different from my own government.
I find it very suspect that the Pakistanis would rush to such a conclusion so quickly. I've never believed that the Pakistani government has been completely with us in the War on Terror. Their intelligence services are supposed to be one of the best in the world, and you want me to believe they haven't been able to locate Bin Laden and/or Zawahiri since Tora Bora? No way, I don't buy it, I'll bet they have a very good idea where those two scumbags are probably every day of the week.
I can understand why Pakinstanis would want to downplay an event involving the act of another country firing a missile inside of Pakistan. Minimize the resentment factor. Agree with your comment about AP.
I understand the bodies of five of the deceased were quickly taken back to Afghanistan. If they were not Al Qaeda, what's the rush? And if they were Al Qaeda, wouldn't their colleagues want verification of their deaths, and to prevent their remains from falling into CIA hands?
Excellent post.
Well,If Debka says he's alive, it's official, he's dead!!!!
Wow, how come it takes weeks to do a DNA test here, but only 12 hours in Pakistan?
I guess the CIA still isn't with the program yet... I was wrong.
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