How Surveillance and Betrayal Led to a Hunt's End (Zarqawi)

The New York Times ^ | June 9, 2006 | Dexter Filkins, Mark Mazzetti and Richard A. Oppel, Jr.

[Auntie Mame]

That was the first thing I thought when I read this story. Hopefully there are a lot of Muhammad Ismael's that are 40 yrs old and drive taxis. Otherwise, he's just been killed by the NYT.

[BobS]

"I wonder if we actually had info from an insider."

Jordanian intelligence got info from an insider about who Zarqawis' "spiritual advisor" was. They tracked this guy using signal intelligence and drones for weeks. That led to Zarqawi. The CIA targeting team illuminated the house with laser light and that was the end of that.

This insider is the kind of person that must be taken to an unlikely country so he can't be seen by somebody he knows for his own protection.

[romanesq]

The US confirmed it is paying the $25 million reward so if this is a propaganda operation, they are playing it to the hilt.

I hope they are progressing in the intel they've garnered throughout this operation.

And I salute all the fine people in our military that did such a great job and also Jordan for their cooperation in this.

[Beagle8U]

"There's some really good information here."

Yes, lots of information. I'm sure that the NYT just sealed that poor taxi drivers death warrant by listing his name like they did.

When they could have just as well used "witness's reported" or their favorite "unnamed sources".

If it don't protect terrorists or RATS they can't leave out a single thing.

[StJacques]

On the NYT releasing the name of the taxi driver . . .

I'm surprised they didn't put his picture up.

[Beagle8U]

The NYT is pissed because their favorite guy was murdered, they want everyone involved to be punished for that.

[sionnsar]

>"We have managed to infiltrate this organization," said Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser.
Wouldn't "no comment" be a better answer?

True or false, it shakes up and weakens the organization. They will never quite fully trust each other again -- one of them might be a mole.

[arthurus]

NYT is probably feeling all sorts of bitter toward the taximan.

[goldstategop]

They probably planned to capture him but in the end they decided it wasn't worth the risk to American lives. Amazing what a pair of 500 pound bombs can do. These may well have changed the course of history.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")