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Did the drones finally get Mehsud?
The Economic Times ^ | August 10, 2009

Posted on 08/09/2009 4:41:57 PM PDT by myknowledge

The raging conflict in Pakistan does, if one tries hard, seem to have some curious aspects. Take the confusion that often surrounds the announced death of a warlord or the other. More than once someone the authorities have declared to be dead has resurfaced most calmly. It does rather seem like despite all that hi-tech gadgetry employed by the US to “assist” Pakistan, they can’t quite always figure out just who they fired that missile at. Or, perhaps, one is being uncharitable.

Given the terrain, suited for guerrilla warfare and with all the bearded, turbaned chaps looking virtually like carbon copies of each other, technology could find itself rather ineffective. Then, there’s the confusing process of how the authorities claim to be finally sure about a death. The reported death of Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud is a case in point.

Remember, of course, that news of his death had come out about a year ago as well. Only, he proceeded to remind everyone via suicide bombers and the like that he was very much alive. This time, first it was reported his father-in-law’s house was attacked, killing one of his wives and an unidentified man. People refrained from commenting on how a wife, in that part of the world, could be with an ‘unidentified’ man.

The chaps over there are rather peculiarly touchy on such issues. Then came “80% confirmed” assurances of Mehsud’s death. With the authorities saying they would be verifying it on the ground. Perhaps what they were actually waiting for is for the Taliban to themselves make an announcement, since Islamabad doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what’s going on.

It is also a peculiar case of a country actually waging war on another nation's territory without officially doing so. The Americans aren't supposed to be flying those drones into Pakistan as the latter says it doesn't like that. It seems a peculiar 'secret pact': we'll complain but keep firing those missiles. As long as the bad guys get taken out, what's a little confusion?


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: baitullahmehsud; drone; enemy; mehsud; pakistan; taliban; uav

Kudos to the Reaper and its controller.

It did kill him, didn't it?

1 posted on 08/09/2009 4:42:02 PM PDT by myknowledge
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To: myknowledge

The CIA got him. The drone was just the weapon of choice.


2 posted on 08/09/2009 4:47:58 PM PDT by csmusaret (If you like this economy, keep voting for Donkeys.)
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To: csmusaret

Right now trying to collect enough pieces to identify.....


3 posted on 08/09/2009 4:54:04 PM PDT by njslim
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To: csmusaret

Right now trying to collect enough pieces to identify.....


4 posted on 08/09/2009 4:55:03 PM PDT by njslim
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To: myknowledge

Keep in mind the concept, “The Fog of War”. I believe the Prussian General Karl von Clausewitz first wrote about it.


5 posted on 08/09/2009 5:19:56 PM PDT by Citizen Tom Paine
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To: csmusaret
The CIA got him. The drone was just the weapon of choice.

Nancy Pelosi is appalled.

6 posted on 08/09/2009 5:48:41 PM PDT by SnuffaBolshevik
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To: SnuffaBolshevik

I think a drone would be perfect for Pelosi’s personal plane... stripped down of course.


7 posted on 08/09/2009 6:13:15 PM PDT by Bob Eimiller (appeasement "it's the idea that if you feed the alligator he will eat you last." Winston Churchill)
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To: myknowledge
One would think these Waziristanis had put the whammy on zero's action or something.
Why doesn't he hunt down islamists around the world as aggressively?
Why the heat on Israel for the sake of these same islamists?

...Scratching my head....

8 posted on 08/09/2009 6:22:00 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: onedoug

One. BHO is an antisemite.

Two. BHO is told to continue the GWOT charade while killing fewer of his Muzzie brothers.

and

Three. BHO is a globalist traitor.


9 posted on 08/09/2009 6:38:14 PM PDT by myknowledge (F-22 Raptor: World's Largest Distributor of Sukhoi parts!)
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