Spies Are Heroes, Too (the CIA drone attack in Yemen)

When I first heard about the six terrorist pigs getting blown up in their car while driving around the barren Yemen desert, I hoped, hoped, hoped we had something to do with it. Of course, considering we’re dealing with morons or the insane when it comes to terrorists, it was also completely possible that one of them had simply blown himself up a bit too soon. That would have given a whole new meaning to ‘poetic justice.’

The truth ended up being something even better than Muhammad or Akmed sending themselves to Allah—the CIA did it for them. The principal target, senior al Qaeda leader Qaed Senyan al-Harthi, was a suspect in the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. While it took some time, we have finally avenged those 17 sailors who gave their lives for this country.

Al-Harthi was killed along with five other suspected Muslim terrorists were obliterated when the car in which they were traveling was blown to smithereens by a missile fired by an unmanned "Predator" drone operated by the CIA. I do so very much like the words "obliterated" and "smithereens" used in the same sentence to describe "terrorists." Don’t you?

As I’m sure you know by now, I don’t speak in code. I like being honest and getting right to the point. I love the fact that we were able to take out enemy combatants in this war without even needing to be there. It was very quickly revealed that it was a CIA operation, which is also just fine by me. It should serve as an important reminder that despite the fact that we think we know everything that’s going on in this war on Radical Islamists, we don’t.

The people we have entrusted to save civilization from those who wish to drag us back to the year 600 are making plans, gathering intelligence, and implementing decisions which will save the world from these vermin who dare call themselves men of God. I was particularly pleased when national security advisor Condi Rice confirmed last week that Dubya has given "broad authority" to people in his administration to launch more attacks like the Predator missile strike.

"The president has given broad authority to a variety of people to do what they have to do to protect this country," Rice told the television show Fox News Sunday. "It's a new kind of war. We're fighting on a lot of different fronts."

America is great in part because we are a compassionate, fair and decent people. It is clear, however, that the depraved of the world have mistaken that compassion for weakness. They have misjudged Democracy as defective. And after years of non-action by the Clinton administration, they mistook Americans for cowards. There was another time in our history when we wished to be left alone, but the Japanese, too, made the same miscalculations. It is safe to say the Japanese will never forget our response, and neither will Radical Islamists worldwide who dare to think we will allow them to operate with impunity.

I have to tell you some of my friends were a little nervous that the drone attack was not a military operation, but a CIA project. What’s not to like? As we are proud of our president, of our military, of our senate, we should be proud of our spies. They work anonymously. They don’t have press conferences. They die in anonymity. They give the ultimate sacrifice, in the most thankless of jobs. There are scores of people, whose names we will never know, who have given their lives for this country, in silence and in darkness. They were spies, and yes, they are heroes, too.

We should be deeply honored that some of our sons and daughters have decided that their commitment to this country is best served in intelligence gathering and stealth operations. We don’t live in Mayberry, where Deputy Fife would serve our needs. Ours is a world where the compassionate must be prepared to defend themselves, including preemptively, as we are.

The Predator strike serves as an example of some of the things which make our nation great—brilliant technology, superior intelligence gathering techniques, diplomacy which included Yemeni authorities in the project, and the will to, yes, protect ourselves and our nation.

I know we train our military to face the enemy when necessary, but heck, if we can annihilate the bastards without having to put down our morning coffee, I’m all for it. Newsweek reports that, indeed, several more al-Qaeda operatives are being tracked in various Middle Eastern and Asian countries, so they, too can be visited by a Predator.

But here’s probably one of the best side-affects of the use of unmanned drones—the realization of terrorists everywhere that they are not safe. Their perverted and arrogant commitment to destroy civilization has turned on them as the civilized defend themselves with distinction and honor. We have sent a message to all the little bin Ladentrons that no matter where they are, we will find them. There is no place to hide, no desert safe, no country impenetrable.

I support this war on Radical Islamists, in all its forms, and from within all our agencies. Military action whether it be the liberation of Afghanistan, unmanned Predator missile strikes, diplomacy, Special Forces operations, and who knows what else—are a few of the things that make me proud to be an American.

Whether it be sending in troops, or the simple pushing of a button giving permission to the Predator to introduce terrorists to Allah, I will pay my taxes with glee this year and every year to come knowing that our government is filled with the best and the brightest, and are simply determined as Condi Rice noted, to protect this country.

As an engineer, inveterate tinkerer, and all around over grown little boy who loves things that go fast and make big booms, I would have loved to have been in the room when the first person said "Let's hang a Hellfire on her and see if we can hit something!".

the realization of terrorists everywhere that they are not safe.

Some argue that taking credit for this as a U.S. action instead of letting it ride as

a bomb going off early, or the Yemeni government themselves shooting them with

a helicopter was unwise. JMO but this is the only language that the terrorists

understand, and personally I'm very glad for them to they know

that the United States has learned to speak it fluently

We were the least prepared for assymetrical warfare on Sept 11, and now we become history's all-time assymetrical warfare power, through technology.This not only sends a message about our ability, but also about our resolve. Imagine the impression this made on Saddam?I think this was a much bigger blow to our enemies than what was done in Afghanistan, but to complete the message, we must move on to Iraq.

and personally I'm very glad for them to they know
that the United States has learned to speak it fluently

Ha Sometimes I amaze myself. Might as well have said " speak it flatulently"

We were the least prepared for assymetrical warfare on Sept 11, and now we become history's all-time assymetrical warfare power, through technology.

I'm not sure what you're basing this comment on, but what makes you think we just suddenly turned everything around in 14 months? The government moves at glacial speed. Asymmetrical warfare has been a high priority for a long time now - 9/11 just drove the realization home.

I agree with you. Indeed, I wish we could have heard a few "no comment at this time" messages from the USGS and/or NASA when those Richter 5.0+ earthquakes happened in Afghanistan after we had done the worst (i.e., best, heh heh) of our bombing last winter.

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