Taliban Furious Over U.S. Missile Strike

Senior Militant May Have Been Among 24 Killed, Pakistani Intelligence Officials Say

(AP)  The Taliban are furious about the latest apparent U.S. missile strike in Pakistan, indicating a senior militant may be among two dozen people killed, officials and residents said Sunday.

The attack Friday on the North Waziristan tribal region was believed to have killed several Arab fighters but government officials have been notably quiet.

However, two Pakistani intelligence officials said insurgents were moving aggressively in the area while using harsh language against local residents, including calling them "salable commodities" - an accusation of spying.

The intelligence officials, who said their information came from informants and field agents, interpreted the Taliban's anger as a sign that a senior militant may have been among at least 24 people killed. But that has not been confirmed, said the officials, who sought anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to media.

The U.S. has ramped up cross-border strikes that target alleged al Qaeda and Taliban hideouts in Pakistan's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. Pakistani leaders have condemned the attacks as violations of their country's sovereignty.

Pakistan's chief army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said at least 20 people died in the attack, eight of them foreign militants.

Two residents in the area targeted Friday said Taliban fighters warned people not to discuss the missile strike or inspect the rubble at the site. The residents requested anonymity for fear of Taliban retribution.

Taliban and top Pakistani government spokesmen either could not be reached, did not return calls or declined to comment on the strike.

The U.S. rarely acknowledges cross-border attacks inside Pakistani territory by forces from Afghanistan. A U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, 1st Lt. Nathan Perry, did not deny U.S. involvement but said he had "no information to give."

Extremists based in Pakistan's border regions have been blamed for attacks on American and NATO forces in Afghanistan and for violence inside Pakistan. Al Qaeda leaders including Osama bin Laden are believed to be hiding somewhere in the lawless tribal regions along the border.

Just last month, a suicide truck bombing killed 54 people and severely damaged the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

Pakistan's fledgling civilian government has tried to convince the population it cannot duck the fight against militancy. But leaders also warn that American attacks in Pakistan inflame public opinion against the West and undermine the fight against terrorism.

On Wednesday, intelligence agencies are to privately brief lawmakers about the militant threat facing Pakistan during a special joint session of parliament.

Pakistan has been carrying out its own operations against insurgents in the northwest.

Security forces on Sunday killed two alleged Taliban commanders in Swat, one of whom was believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda, said Maj. Nasir Ali, an army spokesman.

In the Bajur tribal region, overnight clashes with security forces killed five suspected militants, police official Fazl Rabi said. A Sunday bomb blast wounded five people in a compound where tribal elders were meeting to discuss ways to rid the area of militants, Rabi said.

The military offensive in Bajur has earned praise from the U.S., but it has also prompted a mass exodus of civilians fleeing the fighting.

Many are in relief camps in Pakistan, but some 20,000 Pakistanis have crossed the border into eastern Afghanistan, according to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, a three-day ultimatum from the government for Afghans living illegally in Bajur to leave was due to expire later Sunday. Of an estimated 80,000 Afghans, only about 15,000 had left, said Abdul Haseeb, a local government official.

He said "the administration may be lenient and give them another couple of days."

It was unclear whether the Afghans were all heading back across the porous, disputed border to Afghanistan or simply going to other parts of Pakistan.

[rational_1]

Oh my heart is just bleeding at how upset those poor Taliban are. Back to the caves to dream about those 72 virgins you''ll soon be meeting, shortly after you meet up with a Predator. Boo hoo hoo, Islamocrazies are getting whacked and don''t like it.

[hypnotoad72]

Awww, poor babies. After all, we were furious when those ****ards blew up the WTC.

Not to mention how the most vile of terroristic acts committed against governments the last 40 years -- all done by extremist Muslims.

I still recall that death threat from ~6 years ago. The Muslim religion is NOT one of peace, I regret to say.

Maybe these cry babies should have taken up a different career, but then they would have to learn how to read and write.

[bailmeout1]

... cost 30,000 Lebanese civilians their lives ... including over 1000 Palestinians that were massacred in the Sabra ... cost over 200,000 Iraqi civilian deaths.
----------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 09:51 PM : Oct 05, 2008

I honestly do not see a problem here......

[guadalcanal3]

Actually the worst enemy that the the Taliban could have..would be..in fact...the Liberals...Taliban philosophy is extremely right wing aka:"no freedoms"...exactly opposite of liberal philosophy.

[bailmeout1]

Hey, I am not going to sit around and wonder which ones are which. Also which ones are guilty, this time. You people have made your own beds. You decide to take on the stongest superpower on this planet and now your God is having a hard time keeping up. Or maybe your biggest worry is that he is running out of virgins. We are at war with Arabs - pure and simple. Those that profess to be our friends are lying, or may be lying. I do not care to prove it one way or another. You people could have stepped up, and chosen peace and lived a great life in this modern world. You didn''t. Deal with your choice.

[bernard1012]

why are the Taliban furious, as the first paragraph of the news item wrote? - they are at war with the USA, do they expect the USA to invite them out for beer and pool? lol who is writing this nonsense, why is the writer being allowed use the word "furious" IE WW2,
Adolf Hitler is "furious" because USA forces are landing at the beach on Normandy.... enemies don''t get furious, except on CBS, they try to get even

[bailmeout1]

It''s because they fully expect us to stop at the border. They fully expect us to play by some sort of rules. Frig that, if Pakistan doesn''t like it that just exposes whos side they are really on. If the civilians dont like it, can they guarantee their sons will not grow up to be "pilots"? Tough chit, what we need is some real American whoop-asz over there.

[govwatch-2009]

Didn''t we go thru this cross border BS in Vietnam? I guess some are slow to learn.

[bailmeout1]

It took Bush until the end of his last term to cross over into Pakistan. What a failure this two term stooge has been.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by curse914 at 11:07 PM : Oct 05, 2008

I agree. I am a Republican but Bush is a total embarrassment. If McCain gets the chance, this will all be over soon enough. But I can really not blame anyone for not voting Republican.

[brady61995]

the taliban is mad? haha thats great they can throw sticks and stones and poopy plants and all the heroin they are shipping over and killing more americans every year than the trade center year after year after year. why are the poppy feilds not burned out? why president bush do they still make and sell and kill americans with their drugs? they are not as mad as we are that is for sure.

[bailmeout1]

Didn''''t we go thru this cross border BS in Vietnam? I guess some are slow to learn.
------------------------------------------------------Posted by govwatch at 11:10 PM : Oct 05, 2008

You know the funny thing is that in those days, we took to the streets to force the government to end that thing. That is because, basically they had not really done anything to "us". The citizens stood up.

Pay attention Arab-land, after what 6-7 years of your chit...... we want MORE!

[Scooter68]

bailmeout1 - Ahem - Sorry to burst your bubble but cross border attacks by US/Allied forces have been going on since the war moved to the Afghan/Pakistan border area. This is nothing new. Too bad the Pakistani goverment has been so Whiskey Delta bout dealing with the rebels and terrorist in their country.

[bailmeout1]

Whatever happened to wars where you put EVERYTHING at risk? Why are we not enslaving these people? Or actually that would s_uck cause they would still be all around us and we would have to look at them. Ok, then we can just put their entire population in prisons. No, thats no good either. That would cost too much. Oh well, bombs away.

[rrozsa-2009]

Curse19 - It is true that the Taliban does not have a lot in common with liberals, philosophy-wise; however, liberals do further the Taliban''s cause when they try to sell the idiotic %u201Cwe are responsible for all the oppression in the world so we had 9/11 coming%u201D mentality.

Extremists, whether religious or political, cannot be reasoned with, negotiated with, nor trusted to abide by their word, as shown by Saddam Hussein and the Soviets in the past. They have to be overpowered and disabled when they prove to be a threat. History has proven that.

[missingamerica]

Extremists, whether religious or political, cannot be reasoned with, negotiated with, nor trusted to abide by their word, as shown by Saddam Hussein and the Soviets in the past. They have to be overpowered and disabled when they prove to be a threat. History has proven that.

Posted by RRozsa at 11:40 PM : Oct 05, 2008

Would that definition of "extremists" include those who invent lies of WMDs to invade another sovereign nation?

Or is such behavior to be encouraged?

[bailmeout1]

Would that definition of "extremists" include those who invent lies of WMDs to invade another sovereign nation?

Or is such behavior to be encouraged?
------------------------------------------------------Posted by ibsteve2u at 11:44 PM : Oct 05, 2008

Would you please come off that? We are not stupid. The CIA information was that the WMDs were there. The nut would not let inspecters in to verify anything. We could not get a clear case for anything because he would not let any U.N. inspecters in. We erred on the side of caution and took him out. If he wasn''t guilty of that he was guilty of something else, or would have been guilty of something else.

Sovereign Nation? You need to land your spaceship for a lube job.

Hey guess what. If you do not let inspecters in and actually try to bluff in that you have WMDs, the other guy just might believe that you do, and take you out.

[hbevis]

The way I see the Taliban is that from all I can see and read they are for obama getting in office here in our good USA. He claims to be a Christian, but from all of the hype he went to a church that had a Radical preaching G.O.D. D.A.M.N. AMERICA. And he went there for many years. He was sent to a muslin school when he was a little boy. People keep on saying that he was born in the USA but I have not seen any proof so far.

A good many people that I know are scared to death of him.

[hbevis]

Would that definition of "extremists" include those who invent lies of WMDs to invade another sovereign nation?

Or is such behavior to be encouraged?
--------------------------------------
----------------Posted by ibsteve2u at 11:44 PM : Oct 05, 2008

YOU NEED TO DO A LITTLE READING AND STUDYING TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT... THIS IS NOTHING BUT SAYING AND DOING THINGS BECAUSE YOU HATE MR. BUSH.

HE IS NOT PERFECT BUT WE HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH HIM FOR ALMOST 8 YEARS..

AND NOW I WOULD GUESS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT THE THE GREAT SOCIALIST obama IN OFFICE.

[bailmeout1]

Whoever we elect as president has very little effect on our lives. He is primarily the Commander In Chief. It is Congress that affects us. Thanks Dems for Pelosi, Frank and Hillery - nice going. The president is supposed to win wars. Bush failed, and he failed against a ragtag team of nut jobs. The problem with Obama is he thinks he is there to negotiate wars. You only negotiate when it is clear to both sides that you will win, as a form of mercy. Obama does not know that.

[hermitdave]

OH GOLLY GOSH---so which one of the many 9 lives evil terror dudes did we kill this time? This is such a joke. Shame Americans are so stupid they don''t understand they are funding both sides of these illegal wars. The smart ones picked up real quick on the fact that Osama was a CIA operative in the Afghan Russian war. Wake up stupids, before it is to late.

[hbevis]

Whoever we elect as president has very little effect on our lives. He is primarily the Commander In Chief. It is Congress that affects us. Thanks Dems for Pelosi, Frank and Hillery - nice going. The president is supposed to win wars. Bush failed, and he failed against a ragtag team of nut jobs. The problem with Obama is he thinks he is there to negotiate wars. You only negotiate when it is clear to both sides that you will win, as a form of mercy. Obama does not know that.

Posted by bailmeout1 at 12:17 AM : Oct 06, 2008

You are right to great degree. But the President does have a lot of power in pushing things through congress. What bothers me the most is when we have either party with control of the White House and congress. That is scary....

And I will be voting in the next few days for McCain and Palin

[bailmeout1]

A good many people that I know are scared to death of him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by hbevis at 12:07 AM : Oct 06, 2008

We are at war with the Muslum world. And before the politically correct crowd starts up - that statement stands until Muslums begin to stop other Muslums from trying to kill Americans. That includes American Muslums as well. It does not matter which Muslums we kill, whether they are guilty of anything or not. It does not matter where they are, or if they are cililian men, women, or children. The only thing that matters is how many we can kill, and how easily and how often we can do it.

after all........ it is Jihad.

[bailmeout1]

You are right to great degree. But the President does have a lot of power in pushing things through congress. What bothers me the most is when we have either party with control of the White House and congress. That is scary....

And I will be voting in the next few days for McCain and Palin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by hbevis at 12:30 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Well yeah, but that is even more reason for all of us (Reps and Dems) to clean house on this congress. If we get a wacko president, then Congress can keep him in check and vice versa.

Now if we only had a fair press and media, we would all be more educated in our choices. Good thing our forefathers put Freedom of the Press in the constitution - what a shame the current press corp is not doing what it was intended to do.

[imchoadius]

If the Taliban is furious it must have been an unusually effective strike. Always nice to get good news.

[hbevis]

If the Taliban is furious it must have been an unusually effective strike. Always nice to get good news.

Posted by imchoadius at 12:36 AM : Oct 06, 2008

You can say that again.. IT IS GREAT NEWS...

[bailmeout1]

This ground thing is rediculous. We should just be smart bombing and drone dropping the hell out of them. Can you imagine after Pearl Harbour we go to Tokyo and try to locate the actual pilots?

[hbevis]

This ground thing is rediculous. We should just be smart bombing and drone dropping the hell out of them. Can you imagine after Pearl Harbour we go to Tokyo and try to locate the actual pilots?

Posted by bailmeout1 at 12:46 AM : Oct 06, 2008

I wish that we could do what you say. BUT, NO ONE WILL EVER DO THAT TO THEM. Remember that the Russians were in Afghanistan for many years and gave up and left.

[bailmeout1]

I wish that we could do what you say. BUT, NO ONE WILL EVER DO THAT TO THEM. Remember that the Russians were in Afghanistan for many years and gave up and left.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by hbevis at 12:50 AM : Oct 06, 2008

You are right. But they should understand that the world is losing patience with them. For now, McCain or Obama will not be able to....... but there is always the future. They need to step up and in my opinion the sooner the better. I would always choose peace, but if forced to choose war then it should be war. And if war, it should be as swift and as complete as possible.

[bailmeout1]

You exposed yourself, you stupid, evil, racist S.O.B. (no different in mindset than a Nazi Storm trooper). It''''s precisely because of such attitudes that the entire Muslim world (and much of the rest of the world) hates our guts, and why the U.S. is headed for the trash bin of history!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 01:06 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Sorry I hurt your feelings, but I understand your point. You see, I know that my mind has been twisted. But that%u2019s what happens when I see planes crashing into buildings. When I envision those people on those planes %u2018cell phone calling%u2019 their family, trying to explain that this is Allah%u2019s will. This is what happened to my mind after watching Muslim womem ''clucking'' in the streets after seeing the attack on television. Seeing people choose to jump instead of burn. Watching heroes run into those buildings only to die the same horrific death as the others died. That is what happened to my mind after hearing those phone calls for help from those trapped inside. "It%u2019s getting hot! It%u2019s getting really hot!"

And now you expect reason? Go to hell and enjoy your *** virgins!

[bailmeout1]

..... Arab lands?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 01:25 AM : Oct 06, 2008

It will be American land soon. Say what you want, but we could take it.....today! If we were what you say we were.

[bailmeout1]

And lets not leave out step two of twisting someones mind. How about chopping of a reporters head and then putting the video up on Television and on YouTube where his wife and kids could see it.

The only problem I see is those totals were not doubled or tripled.

[bailmeout1]

But what do the Lebanese civilians and Palestinian refugees...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 01:48 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Those Muslim terrorist hide within the population. No other Muslims turn them in. You seem to think there is some reasoning in locating those that are actually guilty. Frankly, my time is too precious and I do not care about your little 2,000 year battle over that piece of chit land. I do not care if you think that God walked on that land, he did create the entire planet didn''t he. For as long as I have been alive, there has been Mid-East Peace Talks. It is obvious that Muslims do not want peace. We can control Isreal as far as that goes. But now you have made an enemy of those that actually could have helped you. And why? because there is a different God involved. Frig it, if you do not want to get with the program, who cares what happens to you?

[bailmeout1]

Taking it is easy - but what about holding it - at what cost, and for how long? This stupid Iraq misadventure has already cost the U.S. over 2 trillion dollars - for what? Given our major economic problems and "smoke and mirrors" economy, how much longer can we afford to forcibly occupy other countries?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 01:55 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Thats why it has to be swift and sweet. With zero consideration as to colateral damage. But thats right, I am a wacko.......

[bailmeout1]

But what do the Lebanese civilians and Palestinian refugees (10 per cent of whom are Christian) back in
1982 have to do with 9/11? And what do the Iraqi civilians have to do with it? After all, Iraq was a Baathist socialist state that kept religious extremists in check - they only crawled out of the woodwork because of the U.S. invasion! Finally, it was the American C.I.A. that encouraged Islamic fundamentalism in order to subvert the secular socialist state of Afghanistan. Bin Laden was one of these C.I.A.-sponsored "mujaheddin". This was a short-sighted strategy that came back to bite us in the *** on 9/11. MORAL: "THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS NOT
NECESSARILY MY FRIEND".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 01:48 AM : Oct 06, 2008

You are not getting it. Keep going back in time and *** for tat everything. Locate all that were guilty and bring them to trial. Thats a solution? Here''s the proposition; choose peace TODAY and for evermore. Sit down and carve out a piece of land that has air on top of it. Build that land into your very own country. Create a new God and have him walk all over it.
or....... Force us to make a choice TODAY and sorry but we choose Isreal.

[hothead007]

THE COWARD CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS CAN ATTACK THROUGH DRONES THEIR FIGHTER PILOTS ALSO $HIT TO FLY OVER TALIBAN TERRITORY SO THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DO IT IS BY MISSILES

[bailmeout1]

IT IS NO WONDER THAT THE MUSLIM WORLD HATES OUR GUTS! WE DID IT THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY: WE EARNED IT!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 02:23 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Ok, no problem. Then I guess peace is not possible. Oh well......

[bailmeout1]

Let me sum it up for you. We do not really care if you live or die. It is actually more troulble for us to have to come over there and kill you. So we would just as soon let you live. Just enjoy your little oil-paradise (we can even ship you some sod), and we will buy your oil and keep you rich. We will even send over some help in times of a catastrophe. There is just this one little thing..... you have had this thing going on with one of our allies for about 3000 years or so. Something about Holy Land. It would be great if you guys could work that out. Just remember though that they are our ally, so try to make it work out. Ok? We will put a check in the mail.

[bailmeout1]

So pick your poison: rely on ground troops and have much higher casualties or bomb indiscriminantly and alienate the population; either way, YOU LOSE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 02:30 AM : Oct 06, 2008

There are other choices......

[hothead007]

ITS THE COWARD CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS WHO IS AFRAID OF BEING WIPED OUT THE MUJAHIDS CANNOT BE WIPED OUT THE BRITISH TRIED THE RUSSIANS TRIED & NOW YOU TOO CAN DO IT YOU WILL FACE THE SAME SHAMEFUL DEFEAT AS BY THE HANDS OF VIETNAMES MAY BE WORST

[bailmeout1]

Smug but stupidly wrong. The reality is that we''''ve been getting artificially low priced oil for generations because of the puppets we;ve had in place in the Middle East, so they''''ve been subsidizing us!
As for Israel, it''''s been nothing but a financial drain, and our mindless support of their criminal policies toward the Palestinians has jeopardized our own future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 02:48 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Ok, then I guess that peace is not possible. Oh well...

[bailmeout1]

ITS THE COWARD CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS WHO IS AFRAID OF BEING WIPED OUT THE MUJAHIDS CANNOT BE WIPED OUT THE BRITISH TRIED THE RUSSIANS TRIED & NOW YOU TOO CAN DO IT YOU WILL FACE THE SAME SHAMEFUL DEFEAT AS BY THE HANDS OF VIETNAMES MAY BE WORST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by hothead007 at 02:51 AM : Oct 06, 2008

None of them really cared.... but we do. hehehe

[bailmeout1]

You are correct, sir! Here it is: GET THE F__K OUT!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 02:53 AM : Oct 06, 2008

And that is what can be provoked in you by an anonymous poster on an internet page? And my limitless hatred of all things Muslim, a hatred so whitehot that it would burn Hell itself, an intense desire to see them erased from this planet, an imagination of the glee I will feel if and when that happens can not be understood? Oh well.... Bombs away!

[bailmeout1]

Yeah, right! That''''s why we committed 150,000 troops to Iraq (for the oil) while we let the Northern Alliance do the real fighting in Afghanistan! What a crock of sh_t!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 03:03 AM : Oct 06, 2008

We haven''t taken anyones oil and in fact have left billions in surplus for them, even while our economy needs the cash. The way you can twist that just undermines all of your "They Did this" arguments over the past 3000 years.

[bailmeout1]

Pay attention! I am not a Muslim. Furthermore, my suggestion is quite reasonable: get out of the Middle East! The U.S, has no business being there or having its Zionist proxies do its dirty work!

You, on the other other hand, are a very sick puppy!
If you''''ve been drinking too much, then I suggest you get alcoholism counseling. If not, then you have no excuse and need to get psychiatric help soon!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 03:11 AM : Oct 06, 2008

At least I am not ashamed, and dont try to hide behind being "reasonable". Quite reasonable, you say? To leave isreal over there with you wackos? Yes you are a Muslim. A normal lying through his teeth Muslim.

I do not think that you deny that hatred exists in this world. Well, do you think it is born into you? Or it is created? And if created, are those that created it responsible?

[lindh4]

Well, it''s easy to understand the Taliban''s anger. Not long ago, the US set up their government in Afghanistan, gave them hundreds of millions of dollars and a lot of sophisticated military equipment. Then the US turned around and bombed the hell out of them, running them into Pakistan. It''s kind of like petting your dog one day and kicking it the next. The US did the same thing in Iran, Iraq and a number of S. American countries.

Not saying this is bad. It''s good for business and gives lots of excitement.

[bailmeout1]

You are a comedian! We destroy Iraqi society and give them a pittance of a few billion while we spend TWO TRILLION! Your comment is a very bad joke!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 03:24 AM : Oct 06, 2008

hahaha So now we have destroyed Iraqi society? Dude this just proves how out of reason you Muslims are. You honestly see no problem with Saddam and his sons running that hell-hole. this is why muslims simply can not be reasoned with. Oh you proclaim that you are reasonable, but I guess it depends on which side of the bed Allah woke up on and how he reacted now that the girl in his bed was no longer a virgin. What does he do then? Cut her head off?

[longtree-2009]

Afghanistan, with its Taliban, should have been ashes if they had not surrendered Bin Laden 48 hours after September 11.

[bailmeout1]

Afghanistan, with its Taliban, should have been ashes if they had not surrendered Bin Laden 48 hours after September 11.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by longtree at 03:37 AM : Oct 06, 2008

D_amn straight! And if they did, maybe Americans would be able to isolate the blame and worked towards peace. They do not see the mercy we have shown them.

[bailmeout1]

You, sir, are completely clueless! Saddam was a Baathist socialist! He hated fundamentalist Islam and drank alcohol! In fact, the Iraqi army had beer rations! It was our stupid invasion of Iraq that unleashed fundamentalism in Iraq, both Sunni and Shiite. WE are the problem!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by AVSuvorov at 03:41 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Sorry, too difficult to seperate the details. Cant tell which liar is telling the truth, today. Self preservation dictates that it stays "A Muslim Is A Muslim"