American-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who preached terror as the public face of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has been killed in Yemen, the nation's Defense Ministry said Friday.
At this rate I am going to need a bigger board to mark all our recent scores on.
The good news is that Al Qeada has been significantly weakened globally, mostly due to some excellent intelligence, mostly driven by the Americans, and I have to take my hat off to them. And with former General David Petraeus in charge of the CIA, I'm optimistic about the future.
The bad news is that the Taliban are expanding. While they are being hunted down in Afghanistan, they are spreading in Pakistan and have been emboldened to launch terrorist attacks throughout that country. They've been abetted by the ISI--the Pakistani intelligence service--who are sympathetic to an Islamist revolution in Pakistan and the Saudis, who are as willing as ever to export their virulent breed of Wahabbi Islam.
In Waziristan, Pakistan the Taliban are resurgent and back doing what they do best--murdering civilians, burning down schools and enslaving women. Half-hearted attempts by the military in the badlands to bring the situation under control have ended up in Taliban routing the Pakistanis as often as not. The Taliban in Pakistan are now starting to band together, which is an ominous sign (or would be, except we know that, being Pashtuns, the second a common enemy disappears they'll fall to fighting one another like wild dogs).
This opens up some interesting foreign policy debate. The US alliance with Pakistan is slipping, Musharraf is slipping, and indeed, Pakistan itself may be slipping. On the plus side, all the Central Asian Republics, Iran, China and India despise the Taliban. Iran is a natural ally in this. I would say the time is right for a little and detente with Iran.Ahmadinejad is not well liked by the population of Iran, and a peace offering by the US would probably do more to disempower him and the mullahs as any amount of sabre rattling.
"Thanos" said Wow. Killed by a US drone too. That Barack HUSSEIN Obama is sure weak on terror, isn't he?
If he was a true patriot, he'd be killing these guys with his own hands, just like Bush and Cheney stepped up during their country's hour of need in Vietnam.
If he was a true patriot, he'd be killing these guys with his own hands, just like Bush and Cheney stepped up during their country's hour of need in Vietnam.
I can't speak for Cheney but as for Bush he's got 18 months in his ANG jacket that are redacted and he was an F-104 driver. In the USAF veterans community that's been explained as typical of guys who flew (illegal) missions out of Thailand into North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
He is off to his 72 virgins.
What a shame.......pass the peanuts.
mmmmmmmmmmmm...pork rinds better
Score one of the good guys.
At this rate I am going to need a bigger board to mark all our recent scores on.
Score one of the good guys.
At this rate I am going to need a bigger board to mark all our recent scores on.
The good news is that Al Qeada has been significantly weakened globally, mostly due to some excellent intelligence, mostly driven by the Americans, and I have to take my hat off to them. And with former General David Petraeus in charge of the CIA, I'm optimistic about the future.
The bad news is that the Taliban are expanding. While they are being hunted down in Afghanistan, they are spreading in Pakistan and have been emboldened to launch terrorist attacks throughout that country. They've been abetted by the ISI--the Pakistani intelligence service--who are sympathetic to an Islamist revolution in Pakistan and the Saudis, who are as willing as ever to export their virulent breed of Wahabbi Islam.
In Waziristan, Pakistan the Taliban are resurgent and back doing what they do best--murdering civilians, burning down schools and enslaving women. Half-hearted attempts by the military in the badlands to bring the situation under control have ended up in Taliban routing the Pakistanis as often as not. The Taliban in Pakistan are now starting to band together, which is an ominous sign (or would be, except we know that, being Pashtuns, the second a common enemy disappears they'll fall to fighting one another like wild dogs).
This opens up some interesting foreign policy debate. The US alliance with Pakistan is slipping, Musharraf is slipping, and indeed, Pakistan itself may be slipping. On the plus side, all the Central Asian Republics, Iran, China and India despise the Taliban. Iran is a natural ally in this. I would say the time is right for a little and detente with Iran.Ahmadinejad is not well liked by the population of Iran, and a peace offering by the US would probably do more to disempower him and the mullahs as any amount of sabre rattling.
Been gone 3 years...
Wow. Killed by a US drone too. That Barack HUSSEIN Obama is sure weak on terror, isn't he?
If he was a true patriot, he'd be killing these guys with his own hands, just like Bush and Cheney stepped up during their country's hour of need in Vietnam.
If he was a true patriot, he'd be killing these guys with his own hands, just like Bush and Cheney stepped up during their country's hour of need in Vietnam.
I can't speak for Cheney but as for Bush he's got 18 months in his ANG jacket that are redacted and he was an F-104 driver. In the USAF veterans community that's been explained as typical of guys who flew (illegal) missions out of Thailand into North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.