Posted on 07/14/2009 5:23:00 AM PDT by freed0misntfree
WASHINGTON Since 2001, the Central Intelligence Agency has developed plans to dispatch small teams overseas to kill senior Qaeda terrorists, according to current and former government officials. Skip to next paragraph Paul Buck/European Pressphoto Agency
The plans remained vague and were never carried out, the officials said, and Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A. director, canceled the program last month.
Officials at the spy agency over the years ran into myriad logistical, legal and diplomatic obstacles. How could the role of the United States be masked? Should allies be informed and might they block the access of the C.I.A. teams to their targets? What if American officers or their foreign surrogates were caught in the midst of an operation? Would such activities violate international law or American restrictions on assassinations overseas?
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Wait until unemployment hits 12%. Congress will investigate whether Bush ordered the 9/11 attacks.
Another new tempest in a teapot to try and distract the masses from their woes: “Gee, I woke up this morning and forgot I don’t have a job and can’t find one. I was just so outraged to find out that the CIA was trying to kill Bin Laden and didn’t tell Nancy eight years ago. You Bastards! You tried to kill Binny!”
Wait until next time. Congress will investigate if Cheney ordered al Qaeda to hit us again.
Canceling it shows that Panetta/Obama are weak on terrorism; why would the Dems want to expose that?
As a little add on: The Japanese war aims were not to destroy the United States. They just wanted us out of the Pacific so we couldn't interfer with their plans to take over most of Eastern Asia and the Pacific. On the other hand Al Qaeda has stated it wants to destroy us. Which one of those two should be treated more seriously.
The CIA under Panetta is a joke.
Lets just close them down and save Billions.
I bet the morale there really sucks.
Operationally, our SpecOps guys already know how to do this. Beyond that, just don't tell the New York Enemy Intelligence Briefing Paper ("Times").
Should allies be informed and might they block the access of the C.I.A. teams to their targets?
True allies wouldn't. Still wouldn't tell 'em. Give them plausible deniability.
What if American officers or their foreign surrogates were caught in the midst of an operation?
Well, it would be a learning experience-- how not to get the next team caught.
It's a war. Our side gets captured, wounded, and killed in war just like the enemy. We're pretty good at keeping our numbers down, but we will never reach 0% casualty on any significant operation, and we had better accept that.
Would such activities violate international law or American restrictions on assassinations overseas?
If so, change the US law and [have intercourse with] the rest.
Unasked: what if they retaliate by attmpting to assassinate people on our side?
You mean like in Khobar, Kenya, Tanzania, Yemen and New York City? How would it be fundamentally different?
CIA: YOU CAN NEVER CARRY OUT A SECRET OPERATION IF YOU HAVE TO SHARE THE DETAILS WITH CONGRESS BEFOREHAND.
So much for protecting the nation!!
Gee, it was an actual secret for eight years, till Panetta “briefed” the Democrats...
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