U.S. Drones Have al Qaeda On the Run

Strikes by CIA Drones to al Qaeda Sanctuaries in Pakistan Are Working

(CBS)  It's not often the enemy tells you something you're doing - strikes by CIA drones against al Qaeda sanctuaries in Pakistan - is working.

But in this document posted on the Web, a top al Qaeda commander writes: "The harm is alarming. The matter is very grave."

Both senior government officials and outside experts say it is an extraordinary confession, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin.

"It exposes for the first time a level of paranoia and a level of self-consciousness and a lack of confidence in al Qaeda's leadership in their propaganda that we just haven't seen up until now," said Nicholas Schmidle, the author of "To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan."

In the past year, the CIA has flown more than 50 drone strikes in Pakistan, killing half of al Qaeda's top leaders and hundreds of its fighters. One senior official said the central leadership of al Qaeda is under more pressure now than at any time since the bombing of Tora Bora in 2001. The document blames the accuracy of the strikes on "spies … (who) have spread throughout the land like locusts … So many brave commanders have been snatched away … so many hidden homes have been leveled."

"The accuracy of these drone strikes has been so remarkable that there's been no - there's not even been an attempt to al Qaeda or the Taliban to offer a counter narrative to say that no there were actually women and children that were killed. There's been nothing but silence," said Schmidle.

The predator strikes do cause civilian casualties, but one senior official claimed more innocent people have been executed by al Qaeda as suspected spies than killed by CIA drones.

[hungry1968-16]

by Joe_NY_15 July 11, 2009 8:25 AM PDT

Yo, wake up Zep, read the disapprove polls from Rassmussen, Obama is dropping like a lead balloon.






Oh yeah - rasmussen.com. Great site - very informative.

30% disapprove of Obama and 30% approve of Obama, which means that 40% have NO OPINION, right?

If it wasn't so absurd, it would be laughable.

[darthcheney345]

40% have NO OPINION, right?
--------
Because that's how many voted for Obama and now they're stunned by what an utter failure he is.

Just wait a few more months - that 40% will turn more and more "disapprove."

It is already becoming clear to the majority of voters:

OBAMA = One Big A** Mistake, America!

[ToolMangler1]

No! that means that 40% are like me, taking a long view and not rushing in where 'Fools dare to tread'..
We can go in at any time, Getting out might be very hard to do.

[darthcheney345]

by ToolMangler1 July 11, 2009 6:29 PM PDT
---------

Hey, confused guy.

Do you even know the topic of the post you replied to????

[shawshank22]

So the pinko media now report drones and any other successes in afghanistan in a positive light now.What a difference an election makes.No wonder the media has lost anything that resembles trust or respect.Stay in the tank for your messiah.The american people have other choices of media. The old days are over

[gravyboat4000]

Gee, what if GW never invaded Iraq? We'd have killed the Taliban AND al Queda by now. Oh well, as long as we're gettin 'em now I guess, huh Bushies?

[Joe_NY_15]

by nextgenman09 July 11, 2009 8:23 AM PDT
You sound bitter because America kicked the nutball RINO Party to the curb.
______________________________

Yo, wake up Zep, read the disapprove polls from Rassmussen, Obama is dropping like a lead balloon.

[gravyboat4000]

Obama's numbers will fluctuate, but the GOP is dead.

Live with it Joe.

[darthcheney345]

by gravyboat4000 July 11, 2009 9:41 AM PDT
Obama's numbers will fluctuate, but the GOP is dead.
-------------------

And by the time Obama and Pelosi are finished wrecking our economy, the Democrats will be like the GOP.

And please, no talk about Libertarians. Alan Greenspan is a Libertarian. He has totally discredited the entire Libertarian credo of deregulation.

[Joe_NY_15]

by nextgenman09 July 11, 2009 8:01 AM PDT
We did get our positions straight. Afghanistan is the War Bush failed at when he dropped the ball by invading and failing in Iraq for no reason. Does that help clear it up for you?
____________________

One big problem floyd, is America didn't "fail" in Iraq, we WON the war, despite your efforts to undermine the war, like "Fifth Column"

[nextgenman09]

Yeah, that's why they still have car bombs going off in Baghdad. HAHAHAHA!!

[Joe_NY_15]

AND.....YOU still can't take toothpaste in your carry-on luggage........we have bombs going off all over the world, it's nothing new.

I see you are still underming the war......how un-american and treasonous

[nextgenman09]

I agree, Bush fails, and now I can't take toothpaste on a plane.

[darthcheney345]

Bush fails, and now I can't take toothpaste on a plane.
---------------
So what is Obama doing about that?

Oh, I know. NOTHING.

And somehow that makes him some kind of genius....LOL!

[nextgenman09]

Obama is succeeding where Bush and the RINOpublicans failed.

[chonder2]

A NEW high tech drone is to be launched next week. It utilizes a high volume sound system. When over the target area, the drone named McCain 1 will emit extremely loud phrases repeating over and over..."You are a nation of whiners"..."America's economy is strong" "You are in a mental recession" "Regulation is marxist"!

[nextgenman09]

The problem is,the McCain Drone can't loiter over the target very long. It has to race back to Washington to beg Republicans to support the Bush/Paulson Socialist Bailout to Nationalize Banks.

[Joe_NY_15]

War mongering when done by a Lib = "A-OK" Fine and Dandy
War fighting when done by a Conservative = Unnecessary Illegal wars

I mean get your positions straight.....what you would call..."Selective" support for the military according to the executive in office.....when its a Republican president, you are a virtual "Fifth Column" but when its a girlyman Liberal "praise Obama"

[nextgenman09]

We did get our positions straight. Afghanistan is the War Bush failed at when he dropped the ball by invading and failing in Iraq for no reason. Does that help clear it up for you?

Once you recognize Republican failure, it all falls into place.

[darthcheney345]

***** TROLL ALERT TROLL ALERT TROLL ALERT *****
nextgenman09 is nothing but a partisan troll. Ignore all posts from nextgenman09.

[nextgenman09]

You sound bitter because America kicked the nutball RINO Party to the curb. The stench of a rotting RINO GOrPse is quite satisfying.

[Joe_NY_15]

Wait, attacking a sovereign country in which the country is no direct threat to the U.S. ? Do I smell hypocrasy here ?

Ohhhh, chasing Al Qeada gives you "justification".....well destroying the middle-east's brutal dictator's regime was "justification" as well

[DoubleHappiness88]

**U.S. Drones Have al Qaeda On the Run**

BullSh*ite! This is the same lie as *There is light at the end of the tunnel* and "We have turned the corner in Vietnam.*

The same lies worked for Robert McNamara and William Westmoreland. The sheepeople are falling for them again today.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are waged for the benefit of
THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX and for no other reason.

NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON.

[hungry1968-16]

by Joe_NY_15 July 11, 2009 7:16 AM PDT
It might have been the case, if we elected the bomber pilot, but instead you irresponsibly elected a totally unqualified community organizer to the position of President, so there will be no wiping of anything.....just empty talks, diplomacy-only, appeasement, negotiations, sanctions, and other weak liberal ideas of how enemies are dealt with.






Tell it to the Somali pirates.

Obama's successful military operations: ONE

Bush's successful military operations: ZERO

[Joe_NY_15]

Obama didn't have any successful military operations.....a couple trained seals took a few head-shots at teenager pirates...that's it....so now killing a couple teenager pirates is a "Military Success" for you libs ??? Destroying the 5th largest army (Iraq) and the U.S. defeating Nazi Germany in WW2 are examples of military successes.....not taking out 2 thugs....get real already

[geneonlbk]

Let nobody go unkilled. After all they are only rag-heads. Have you noticed that we are alone in our crazed logic?

[hungry1968-16]

by rbstrcklnd July 11, 2009 1:21 AM PDT
How differently CBS reports the war when Obama is President. What a joke. I guess more than Brian Williams is sharing a bed with him.






Translation: "Bush micromanaged the wars and led them into complete failure, and the news reported all of his failures and missteps accurately. Now Obama is president and he's letting the generals on the ground run the wars the way that they're supposed to, and the press is reporting on the success that those generals are accomplishing. That's not fair."



Brilliant post.

[ToolMangler1]

Hungry' "Obama is president and he's letting the generals on the ground run the wars the way that they're supposed " very true!! the problem is that the repugs are saying that Obama has not won anything (because he isn't running the war like the shrub did.) It is slanted journalism from one end to the other. Then you couple 15 or so Obama haters with the commentary forums and it looks like Obama is unpopular. The repugs don't want Obama to succeed anywhere. They would rather the country fail than to help him do anything. Can you recognize "Jim Crow" when you see it? Or are you old enough to have lived through that era? I am!!

[curiously1]

When you pull a rotten tooth, the gum around it gets lacerated too. Ben Laden is a rotten tooth that needs to be removed. My heart bleeds for very innocent man, woman and child who suffer in this war but what has to be done, has to be done. The world is ridding itself of the evil fanatic thugs and we are all either a part of this struggle, or a witness to this cleansing.

[nextgenman09]

I'm sure Al Qaeda says the same thing about the 9/11 victims. Hey, sometimes the gum has to bleed when you pull a rotten tooth.

[rbstrcklnd]

How differently CBS reports the war when Obama is President. What a joke. I guess more than Brian Williams is sharing a bed with him.

[babooph]

Wow,"on the run" after only 7 years,at this rate,my grandchildren can read about victory in a few decades ,in the newspaper they are using to insulate the cardboard box they will be forced to live in after paying the cost of the endless war against the goat herders.

[tautomer]

ubrew claims 90% civilian casualties in Iraq...
_________________________________________________________

Total BS...estimates or casualties in Iraq range from 750k to a bit over 1 million. Meanwhile IraqiBodyCount estimates 92k CIVILIAN deaths. So that's less than 12%.

Ubrew tends to be hysterical at times, making up figures to suit her intent. The amazing thing about the Iraq theatre was that more than 500,000 bad muzzies were greased at a cost of only 4000 American lives.

I doubt Obama will be able to maintain the same ratio in Afghanistan.

[bill1049]

According to FBI Officials, Osama Bin Laden is in Northern Afghanistan. FBI might not be available for questioning about this, for military safety of keeping information from the media and the internet, and thus from the Taliban.

[gdogkim]

When encountering the truly wicked, or determined, it is imperative to destroy all resistance until surrender, or total destruction is achieved.

Despite their grand talk, the enemy is fighting an ideological war, and they too have a breaking point. That is why we can and will win.

[bradkt1]

Well done CIA! Do your best to make sure of your target and then keep firing away until all of these murdering cockroaches are dead. The world has to know that the United States means business after 3,000 of its citizens are murdered by a bunch of terrorists. There must be no rock on this planet under which they can hide from us or enjoy a safe sanctuary. The next group of would-be terrorists is taking notes and is calculating whether they can get away with their plans to do us harm. They must be disabused of that notion completely...or we invite them to come in and murder us and our loved ones like dogs.

[hermitdave]

CORRECTION---CIA drones have their own covert phony terror dudes on the run. Wake up folks the Cheney evil terror worst of the worst are in house people. This is not even NAM, this is 100% fake. There is no real enemy, it was necessary to invent one. A small band of Muslim guys did not plan and carry out the latest Pearl Harbor. Never in American history have this many humans been this stupid for this long. You better wake up because it isn't going to get any better. Obama is still playing along with the massive Cheney Bush LIE.