Posted on 01/02/2009 7:10:57 PM PST by bruinbirdman
The top hierarchy of al-Qaeda has taken such a hit from US missile strikes that Osama bin Laden and his deputy have had to replace people in the terrorist organisation with men they have never met, according to Western intelligence sources.
A Predator drone: from as far away as Nevada, in the heart of the US, controllers on the
ground are able to strike bases used by the leadership of al-Qaeda in the borderlands of
Pakistan. Casualties have been heavy and new leaders are often not well-known
A dozen of al-Qaeda’s “senior management” have been killed by Predator drone attacks, which have been so effective in locating their targets that the militant group has been forced to move from traditional outdoor training camps to classroom-style facilities that are hidden.
After the success of the new weapons, which are unmanned and operate by remote control from 15,000 feet, the United States is to step up its drone attacks. On January 1 Hellfire missiles, operated from an air force base in Nevada, hit targets in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan, close to Afghanistan, and yesterday two missiles slammed into the stronghold where Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taleban leader, is believed to live.
The killings have had a huge impact on the structure, organisation and effectiveness of al-Qaeda, limiting the capacity for commanders to liaise with each other, further separating the top command from the lower ranks and introducing a high degree of uncertainty and a constant awareness of the likelihood of death lurking in the skies.
Bin Laden, al-Qaeda’s figurehead leader and Ayman al-Zawahiri, his Egyptian deputy, have had to rely on loyalty of their associates to stay alive and remain hidden from the American surveillance networks.
Predators, armed with Hellfire missiles
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
And I can’t say I feel sorry for any of those scumbags either.
Maybe OBL really hasn’t met Obama. Kidding aside; this is good news, as Al Queda becomes accessable to our moles.
hunted by robots.
you gotta luv it.
“Osama bin Laden and his deputy have had to replace people in the terrorist organisation with men they have never met, according to Western intelligence sources.”
This creates massive opportunities for infiltration of AQ leadership...
Queue John Candy in suspenders photo...BOOM!
It’s gotta drive these guys crazy. They’re ancestors founded the cradle of civilization. But now, we’ve got Predators and they’ve got.....shoes.
“After the success of the new weapons, which are unmanned and operate by remote control from 15,000 feet...”
That’s all? I assume that’s the altitude, and not the operating distance.
Oh, that is funny stuff! Of course it’s the altitude; what do you know that’s operated from almost 3 miles away?
The US could do a lot more good in the WOT by targeting The New York Times building.
The ultimate gamers are flyin Predators from 10,000 miles away...gotta love it!
yitbos
They won't be such fun, if we're ever the guerrillas trying to hide from them.
Sobering thought...but I would think the armed citizens joining a military coup to defeat the corrupt socialist scumbags would be a more likely scenario.
Death from the Skies!
Gotta Love It!
Thank you to the men and women who fly, arm, and maintain the UAVs. And thank you to all the men and women who have taken it upon yourselves to protect me, and millions of other people that you’ll never know, some of whom will hate you for granting them your protection. But know that the vast majority of us DO THANK YOU for stepping up and taking responsibility for the rest of us.
Sincerely,
Mark
Ping
That would be a nice ending, but it wouldn’t be easy or painless to get from A to B.
I agree 100%. Many freedom/country loving patriots would probably be killed before that tide was turned.
They pilot Predators and Raptors from Creech AFB, 50 miles up the road.
yitbos
Hide in plain sight is always an option. ......:o)
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