'High-Value Target' Surrounded in Pakistan - Thread 2 - new information

Fox News ^ | Thursday, March 18, 2004 | staff

[Anti-Bubba182]

Pakistani officials said Thursday they have a "high-value target" in the war on terror surrounded near the Afghan border and sources reported that an air strike was being launched to flush out the resistance.

Intelligence officials suggest it may be Ayman al-Zawahri (search)

[Jackie-O]

I'm praying that this is not going to turned out like Tora Bora...If they did slip out of the net, it would be because of the nightime lull before the helo strike in the AM there. Much like TB, when they slipped out at nightfall.

[Peter J. Huss]

It could be a delay tatic because they need to pause before a final push and want to, at the same time, keep the ball in their court.

There could be a mix of hard core and regular soldiers, many of which may have lost their taste for battle after a few days of pounding and seeing their cohorts getting popped. These people might choose prison over death.

Another remote possibility is that it takes a few hours for the bombers to get into the theatre, but I doubt they will go this route. We tried this in Tora Bora and the enemey gave us the slip.

[NeoCaveman]

dang.

[leftcoaster]

He's dead, Jim.

[Types_with_Fist]

I like how they are saying, "he's either dead, wounded, not there or surrounded." That just about covers all the possibilities, doesn't it?

[Quilla]

LOL! Wishing you a beautiful day!

[Dog Gone]

I dunno, but the Talibunny doesn't sound very credible to me. He seems more worried about the psychological effect that the ongoing operation is having on the resistance than anything else.

[Jackie-O]

We thought the same thing and posted at the same time!
Lord I hope this is not the case!

[Jackie-O]

LOL!

[Jackie-O]

I'm just gonna keep this positive thought for the day..
Our Special OPS guys are camped on the other side waiting for AZ and his crew.

[Types_with_Fist]

Yes. Me too. The operation--as we've heard it is planned--seems to be getting results rather quickly. This will not be the final skirmish. If the Pakis follow through, we should have Al Qaeda completely detroyed with the Hammer and Anvil approach.

[philosofy123]

I have a good question that our media failed to raise. This raghead Zawahiri is an Egyptian doctor. He was the killer of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Egypt has the death penalty to murderers, now this loser murder the head of the government, and did not get the death penalty, and worse than that let out of jail before completing his sentence. Did any American reporter ever explore why?

I have a theory: Mubarak wanted to be nice to the fanatical Islamists in his underground slums. He let this loser out to fight the bad USSR that gets him a bonus from the US! I rather have the USSR than the jihadists. At least the communists dress nice, smell nice, and can carry a discussion.

[HarryCaul]

It really looks like they've just guessed there's something here, other than rank and file AQ and taliban. We may well find there was never any high value target here at all, but the operation would still be a success, of course.

[Dog Gone]

You're misinformed. He was charged in the Sadat assassination, but acquitted. He did serve three years in prison for unrelated weapons charges.

After his release, he went to Afghanistan and later was responsible for planning the tourist massacre in Luxor, Egypt. Egypt tried him in absentia and gave him the death sentence.

So, rather than Egypt being one of his sponsors, they want him dead as much as we do.

[Jackie-O]

I just heard that some mid level AQ have been captured trying to escape the battle...no mention of who captured them or where....

[Types_with_Fist]

I'd think that the only place to "escape" to would be across the border. Our guys might have got them. We lost two soldiers yesterday in Afghanistan. Does anybody know the story behind that?

[The Wizard]

I heard is was in central Afgahistan

[Jackie-O]

Yeah, I just heard that too.

[Types_with_Fist]

"Central," huh? Well, I guess that may not be connected. Thanks.