Posted on 04/12/2006 1:45:28 AM PDT by the_Watchman
The U.S. military has announced that the largest air assualt in 4 years in Afghanistan is underway in Kunar province. It was kicked off 15 hours ago, but a news embargo was imposed. An attempt has been made to keep the Al Queda and Taliban opposition contained so that they will not escape.
Several thousand coalition soldiers are involved. The exit passes are being held since it was believed that too many opposition forces escaped during the previous Operation Anaconda.
Don't hold your breath though, Bin Laden has gone very deep.
I only need him to go 6 feet deep, not very deep at all.
Thanks for those pics. Rugged country!
You know, I work with them every day...and I am extremely hopeful. There are some great people coming up who have somehow risen above the garbage they are being offered.
Courage comes in many costumes.
bump!
The fastest way to win the war!
a news embargo was imposed
That's good. We don't need the MSM telling Achmed when and where we are going. Also we DON'T have the right to know everything. That's why some things are CLASSIFIED.
Hmm, that means David Gregory didnt have a chance to tip off his buddies at Al Qaeda
It would be nice to get a few more Taliban leaders in our pocket. Many of these people can be bought for the right price, hell Mullah Omar would sell out Bin Laden and his first born child for the right price. We don't have to go anywhere near that far, but if it were up to me I would try splitting the Taliaban like we did the insurgents between the greedy ones and the fanatical insane ones.
I hear what you are saying here but it is complete different system / structure - Between those in the Afghan / Pak border region and those in Iraq -
Additionally to a large degree those in power within the border region already have plenty of $$ - And while there are some that we have "bought" in the past....some of these simply "turned" back as time went buy ....one of the main HVTs we are after Gulbuddin Hekmatyar being one of those -
And while there are some within this region we need to "buy" or "bring along" to provide us with Intel - Those of this ilk or class are few and far between within that region of the world. But trust me $$ millions have been handed out in that region....
I do agree with you to a large degree regarding Zarqawi.
I would think they would have every individual in these regions catalogued by now. I would think they would know what time they got up everyday, and if they left somewhere for work, and what time they got home. I would think they would have everyone pegged as local Pashtun, Arab, Czech, or any other nationality.
We are talking a few hundred thousand folks at most. Small database by NSA standards.
My guess? They have known exactly where UBL is for quite some time. The intel types obviously feel they can aquire more data by not apprehending him.
Announce the LARGEST air assualt in 4 years...close off the mountain passes into Pakiland and the mothership....announce to the world we are doing it....then impose a blackout....I bet there are some frantic calls in the AQ leadership about now trying to figure out what is going on....and the whole while we are listening in to the intercepts.
You are on the right track here -
I'm thinking the best we have is one meter per pixel.
How tall is OBL? 2 pixels?
Let's see;
The new regime is building schools - the old regime is bombing schools.
Since you asked:
I'd like to see his head on a pike. No need for a Saddam like trial
I guess the lawyers approved this one huh??
Leave no stone unturned and no insurgent living.
Just got done reading all the posts on this thread. God bless our troops, and may they have swift and total victory.
Ralph Peters
Prayers for the safety of our troops and success of mission..
Thanks for the ping!
I would think they would have every individual in these regions catalogued by now. I would think they would know what time they got up everyday, and if they left somewhere for work, and what time they got home. I would think they would have everyone pegged as local Pashtun, Arab, Czech, or any other nationality.
We are talking a few hundred thousand folks at most. Small database by NSA standards.
You give too much credit to our eyes in the sky - While they are an incredible asset and invaluable in many ways (they are often over-hyped).
Nor do they (we) have a consant 24/7 monitoring of the entire Pak border region - Understand we are talking approximately 40,000 + square miles of the most rugged terrain on earth just in the NWFP section of Pak. That doesn't even include the Federal Tribal areas, nor all of Baluchistan
Also keeping in mind the Afghan / Pakistan border stretches 1,500 miles—roughly the distance from Washington, D.C., to Denver (again just to get an idea of the size we are talking).
And there are well more then several hundred thousand people living there - A whole helluva lot more (and they don't like outsiders at all...and can spot them in a minute more often then not).
My guess? They have known exactly where UBL is for quite some time. The intel types obviously feel they can aquire more data by not apprehending him.
While we don't know exactly where he is....the minute we know that we'll put shooters on him (preferably - unless the wargamers and JAGs convince those up higher to get cold feet).....but even if we don't put guns on him, well hit him from the sky stat....the minute we know his exact location.
With that said, we do have a "general idea" of where he is eking out his survival. But in that region of the world that is still a very long way from catching him.
Simply the logistics alone of conducting Ops in that region is a complete nightmare.
You will be disappointed if we DO catch him? Is that a mistake?
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