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CIA Expands Use of Drones in Terror War
The LA Times ^ | January 29, 2006 | By Josh Meyer, Times Staff Writer

Posted on 01/29/2006 4:22:24 PM PST by prophetic

CIA Expands Use of Drones in Terror War 'Targeted killing' with missile-firing Predators is a way to hit Al Qaeda in remote areas, officials say. Host nations are not always given notice.

WASHINGTON — Despite protests from other countries, the United States is expanding a top-secret effort to kill suspected terrorists with drone-fired missiles as it pursues an increasingly decentralized Al Qaeda, U.S. officials say.

The CIA's failed Jan. 13 attempt to assassinate Al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman Zawahiri in Pakistan was the latest strike in the "targeted killing" program, a highly classified initiative that officials say has broadened as the network splintered and fled Afghanistan.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: binladen; cia; drones; dronescia; droneswot; gwot; surveillance; targetedkilling; terror; uav; waronterror
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To: HardStarboard

I imagine they didn't feel a thing.


41 posted on 01/29/2006 5:43:25 PM PST by Spruce (Keep your mitts off my wallet)
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To: bygolly

The use of drones, as well as the all mighty satellite, to protect us from those who want to do us harm lead directly to 9.11. As long as the CIA takes the easy way out, and doesn't get more folks in on the ground, the bad guys will have a much easier time of operating.


42 posted on 01/29/2006 5:51:49 PM PST by Bluedaddy
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To: oceanview; Dog
did you see that comment today from Musharaff, something to the effect that nailing OBL in Pakistan would be "no big deal".

Musharraf didn't mean it so cavalier.....but he also meant it...in a way all the same...

43 posted on 01/29/2006 5:53:25 PM PST by SevenMinusOne
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To: FreeReign; Dog

this must be it:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11077658/site/newsweek/


44 posted on 01/29/2006 5:54:48 PM PST by oceanview
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To: oceanview
Typical Mushy..

If the U.S. has intelligence that a terror leader is hiding in a certain house—is there time for the U.S. and Pakistan to coordinate?

Certainly our capability is not as much as the U.S., but that doesn't mean that we should allow U.S. forces to operate in Pakistan.

Will Osama bin Laden be found one day?

Possible, but very difficult.

Talking out the both sides of his mouth..

45 posted on 01/29/2006 6:00:57 PM PST by Dog ( Ayman al-Zawahiri .....Sleeps with the fish's.....enjoy those raisins.)
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To: oceanview

Thanks!


46 posted on 01/29/2006 6:08:49 PM PST by FreeReign
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To: Dog; Cap Huff; DevSix

but isn't he forced to walk the tight rope because of the loonies within his own country? I think the guy has done a masterful job. I learned today that certain U.S. companies have been given drilling rights in Pakistan for oil and natural gas. I bet this is part of the backroom stuff we are offering in exchange for cooperation. In any event, we keep hearing snippets of good news every so often about an AQ nab here and there. The driver and the other 5 guys who were picked up in the area will most certainly lead to more arrests or attacks. Either way, its good and has to be part of the reason Assad is thinking about cutting a deal with the U.S., which was mentioned in another post earlier today.


47 posted on 01/29/2006 6:11:22 PM PST by irish guard
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To: JohnCliftn
Sorry, folks I should do my own homework.

I conclude from reviewing the bios that the named sources hate US, and are making money hating US.

They are

Three People Who Failed America

  1. Juliette N. Kayyem, a former U.S. government counter-terrorism consultant and Justice Department lawyer,, Harvard Lecturer in Public Policy, and served as former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt's appointment to the National Commission on Terrorism.

  2. Paul Pillar, a former CIA deputy counter-terrorism chief, and pushing a book.

  3. Michael Scheuer, the former chief of the CIA's special unit hunting Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and making money bashing WOT.

  4. Lee Strickland, a former CIA counsel who retired in 2004 from the agency's Senior Intelligence Service

48 posted on 01/29/2006 6:12:05 PM PST by JohnCliftn (In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Good Will.)
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To: prophetic

Can they hit the LAT?


49 posted on 01/29/2006 6:12:56 PM PST by MonroeDNA (Look for the union label--on the bat crashing through your windshield!)
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To: irish guard
but isn't he forced to walk the tight rope because of the loonies within his own country?

Without a doubt Musharraf on the whole has done about as well as can be expected of him - He has managed to handle (and be supportive of our efforts) as best he can in a very complex situation.

Do we wish Pakistan would (could) do more at times? Of course. But the reality is the Pak border regions are basically autonomous for the Pak Gov't -

My comments regarding Musharraf's comments earlier today on FNC were simply to say....while Musharraf meant what he said.....he said it for other reasons outside of his seeming premise that "getting UBL wouldn't matter"....It most certainly would...(and he knows this).

UBL is being systematically encircled. The odds are not in his favor to survive 06 (IMO). I think Musharraf tipped his hand that he would bet with me too -

50 posted on 01/29/2006 6:19:37 PM PST by SevenMinusOne
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To: irish guard; Coop; DevSix; Cap Huff; oceanview
Add this to my list..about strange goings on in the tribal area.

US helicopter violates Pakistani airspace...

And then there was THIS:

Two shells were also fired on Friday night from the Afghan side of the border which landed in Pakistan’s rugged tribal region of North Waziristan but there were no casualties, the general said.

Who did the firing and who were they aimed at?

51 posted on 01/29/2006 6:35:51 PM PST by Dog ( Ayman al-Zawahiri .....Sleeps with the fish's.....enjoy those raisins.)
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To: All

Shells or Hellfire missiles?


52 posted on 01/29/2006 6:37:24 PM PST by Dog ( Ayman al-Zawahiri .....Sleeps with the fish's.....enjoy those raisins.)
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To: prophetic
Despite protests from other countries,

Sounds like they're jealous of our toys. Screw 'em.

53 posted on 01/29/2006 6:58:02 PM PST by Looking4Truth (It ain't the race, it's the culture!)
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To: Dog

shells?

one question I have - why are these AQ guys so close to the Afghan border? why aren't they deeper inside Pakistan, still in that tribal region, but at least further away from the border to make US operations harder?


54 posted on 01/29/2006 6:59:41 PM PST by oceanview
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To: eleni121
A predator-----What a beautiful sight!

You know when we were at war with Iraq last time when Saddam invaded Kuwait - one of our news reporters was giving an on-the-street segment. As the news reporter was standing there talking with camera rolling - a cruise missile went "cruising" across the sky behind him. I tell you - it warmed my soul! Of course there were many such video segments from that conflict. Come to think of it - this war has not been documented like the Desert Storm one. Why? I think it's more prudent to not strut too much.

55 posted on 01/29/2006 7:01:20 PM PST by winston2 (In matters of necessity let there be unity, in matters of doubt liberty, and in all things charity.)
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To: prophetic
Coming soon to a terrorist camp near you.
56 posted on 01/29/2006 7:12:12 PM PST by Lancer_N3502A
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To: prophetic
I love this part:
Another apparent Predator missile strike killed a former Taliban commander, Nek Mohammed, in South Waziristan in June 2004, along with five others.


Then you are invited to spend a few hours at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1155685/posts ;-)
57 posted on 01/29/2006 11:03:25 PM PST by AdmSmith
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To: Dog
Who did the firing and who were they aimed at?

A U.S. Army second lieutenant, who was attempting to demonstrate the "safe" mechanism on an artillery tube. What's really sad is he tried it again to see what went wrong the first time!

58 posted on 01/30/2006 9:26:40 AM PST by Coop (FR = a lotta talk, but little action)
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To: Spruce
>>>I imagine they didn't feel a thing.<<<

Probably not. But I wonder what went through their heads in the last 500 milliseconds when they realized something terribly loud and terribly lethal was closing on them terribly fast.

Hardly enough time to mutter a final "Allah Akbar".

Predator rules!

59 posted on 01/30/2006 12:48:57 PM PST by HardStarboard
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To: oceanview; Dog; Cap Huff; AdmSmith; DevSix
>>>>>>>>> one question I have - why are these AQ guys so close to the Afghan border? why aren't they deeper inside Pakistan, still in that tribal region, but at least further away from the border to make US operations harder?<<<<<<<<<<<<

With miles and miles of border and rough terrain, this is a darn good question. Are the AQ folk not welcome in other regions? I can't believe that is the issue....but this is odd.

60 posted on 01/30/2006 5:39:23 PM PST by irish guard
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