Another question that was asked was why didn't we go in and capture him alive (mean old "Muricans", killing the poor fellow). Caldwell said that he didn't ask the planners that specific question (why in the world would he, it was so obviously a great idea), but he could imagine that we didn't want to put our guys at significant risk.
Conrad Burns just said he is receiving lots of bricks from Americans who want the border secured.
Main reason they bombed him is not to protect our troops. To try and capture him alive, and interrogate him, could be assessed to be worth the risk..The real reason is they didn't want to take any chance he might escape..You can assume that AlQueda had spotters all aroudn the neighborhood....at the first sight of troops moving in, he'd have been warned, and might have been able to get away..